My Little Bird- Blue Eyes love
by ZombieKitty217
Summary: A girl is sent up to the dam to work on it when she has a run in with death, only to be saved by none other than the apes. When her camp is destroyed, and Caesar offers sanctuary in his home while she works, what happens when a bond is formed between her and Caesar's oldest son, Blue Eyes?
1. Chapter 1

My Little Bird- 1

"You called for me, sir?" I peaked into the office room shyly.

"Ah, yes. Dr. Harley's girl, am I right?" Dr. Dreyfus stood up from his creaky old chair. I glanced around the cluttered office before letting myself move into view a bit more. I nodded at his assumption.

"How would you like to do something very important for me?" He said. I mentally rolled my eyes at his tone. He said it like he was asking a dog if it wanted to play fetch.

"What do you need?" I tried to keep my voice from wavering.

"Will you do it?" He avoided my question. My worry was growing larger than it had when my mother had told me that Dreyfus wanted to see me. I forced myself to nod, afraid of what would happen if I said no.

"Wonderful. The generators aren't going to last too much longer. I need you to travel up to the old dam and get it working. The energy would set us up for years." He clapped his hands together and started dusting them off before turning away from me. I sucked in a gasp. No one has been up at that dam for the past decade. Who knows what could be up there? I knew I couldn't get out of it, I would probably get yelled at, even if I could force up the courage to speak up.

"Leave as soon as you can. First light tomorrow would be phenomenal." He handed me a sheaf of papers. "There's what you should know about your assignment." He shooed me away. I gave a stiff nod and slid away from the doorway, chewing my bottom lip. After leaving the Tower, I made my way through town, hopping rooftops and fire escapes to avoid the crowds below. When I got to my building, I climbed the fire escape down a level and pulled open the apartment window.

"Rain." I looked up at my mother's voice. She was standing in the threshold of my bedroom. "What did Dreyfus want?" She wrung her hands over her heavily pregnant stomach worriedly.

"Mom, you shouldn't be on your feet." I walked over to her, pulling her out into the small living room and to the patchy couch. She yanked her hand out of mine and turned me to face her before I could urge her to sit. She placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye. "What did he want?"

I sighed. "He wants me to go to the dam in the mountains and fix the workings. The generators are gonna go out soon."

"What's going on?" We both turned at the new voice. I seen my older brother, Dax, watching us. I repeated myself, signing at the same time.

"

_No."_ He said and signed. _"There is no way I am letting you go there alone. No one has been there since the Ape Riot, its not safe." _

I was flattered by my brother's concern, but I brushed it off. _"I'm going Dax. We're all going to be in the dark soon if I don't." _I argued.

"You think they can't find someone else to do this? Rain, no." He gave me a sharp look. It used to be off putting back when I wasn't used to the intensity level his eyes have been able to get to ever since he went deaf.

I was pretty proud of my big brother. He lost his hearing when he was sixteen and was able to keep his speech and learn how to sign fairly fast. I guess you have to when it becomes your only way of communication. I just wish some of the people here at "Group Golden Gate" as Dax liked to refer to us as, would at least try to learn a few basic signs, and not rely on his lip reading skills or my interpretation. 'Yes, no, help, thank you.' would that be so hard to learn?

_"Dax, I'll be fine."_ I said and signed. _'There's nothing you can say to change my mind." _I turned to my mother. "_You either."_

Mom sighed, and nodded slowly. _"I know, I know. But you're not going alone. Dax, you're going with her." _She signed.

He gave an irritated sigh, _"Fine."_ He walked away, presumably to go pack.

"Sit down, Mom. I'm going to go pack." I said, giving her a hug. She held me close before plopping down wit her book.

I walked back into my room and closed the window I came through. I grabbed a backpack and put three sets of clothes in, three water bottles and my camera, along with a handful of memory cartilages. (I hit the mother load when I found a whole box full of them, taped and sealed and unopened.) I like to take pictures of everything, because you never know when something is going to change for good. I grabbed my bow and quill full of arrows and hung it on my doorknob, also grabbing some extra arrows so I wouldn't have to stop and build more. I made the archery set myself, whenever I find branches and sticks smooth enough, I take them and make arrows out of them. I added a tent and a rolled up sleeping bag on top of the backpack. When I was satisfied that I had enough, I stuffed in my toolbox and walked to the bedroom door across from my room and opened it slightly, looking away while I reached my hand in and felt for the light switch. I flicked it on and off a few times until I heard a grunt from inside.

I entered Dax's room to see him finishing up his own backpack. _"We leave in the morning."_ I signed. He nodded and zipped up his backpack. I beckoned him to follow me out to the living room. He did, and I pushed him toward Mom on the couch and pointed to her. I continued into our meager kitchen and walked back with three cups of tea. We saved the for special occasions. Well, Dax and Mom do, I can't stand the stuff.

I found Dax massaging Mom's feet. I handed my mother her mug before touching Dax's shoulder. He looked up and smiled at me as he took the cup. I sat down next to Mom and sipped at my tea. She brought her arm around my shoulders and stroked my hair with her long fingers. Dax sat on her other side and placed his hand on her stomach. He gasped and broke out into a large grin after a few seconds. I smiled and put my hand on her large stomach next to my brother's. I felt my own smile stretch my lips farther as I felt movement under my palm.

"I can't wait to meet them." I said.

"Them?" Mom asked.

"I don't know if they'll be a boy or a girl, and I don't want to call them an it." I explained. She smiled and we sat there in comfortable silence until my mom announced that she was tired. Dax and I took the time in helping her waddle to her bedroom. She surprised us by pulling us into the bed with her.

_"Come sleep with mama." _She said in her baby voice while signing.

"Mom." I pretended to whine.

"We're not babies." Dax signed. _"I'm a grown man." _

_"You're always gonna be my babies." _She pulled us down beside her, and we gave no protest. I was glad to be able to cuddle with my mom and big brother. I fell asleep with an arm over my mother's tummy, right next to Dax's.

-the next morning-

I sighed and fitted my bowstring over my chest. I looked out the window at the heavy fog over the Golden Gate Bridge that I hoped would be burned away by the sun soon. I walked out my bedroom door and found Mom saying goodbye to Dax in front of the door. I paused to watch her sign.

"..._keep her safe. Remember to stick together. If the dam is unsafe, come right back home, I don't care what Dreyfus has to say." _

I continued toward them and knocked on the wall. Mom turned to me Dax followed her gaze. Mom hurried as fast as her pregnancy would allow to embrace me tightly. I stepped away slightly, afraid to hurt the baby, but kept my arms tightly locked around her neck, breathing in her lavender scent. When she pulled back, her eyes were teary.

"Aw, Mom." I pouted, hating when my mom was sad.

"_Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just go, fix that hunk of junk and come back home_." She signed and said.

"Maybe you should stay with Malcolm..." I crossed my arms over my chest, chewing my lip worriedly. I didn't want to leave her alone so close to her delivery, and I knew my mother's childhood best friend Malcolm would keep her safe while Dax and I were gone, he had been a close friend to us for years.

_ "_

_No, no, no. I was an independent woman once, I can be again. And its only for a short time_." She tutted before leaning in to kiss my cheek. She did the same for Dax before I kneeled down in front of her bulging stomach.

"Take care of Mom for us, okay? Hopefully we'll be back before it's time for you to join us." I spoke to the bump. Mom and Dax watched me with warm (and watery) smiles. I pulled put my camera and looked at them with a puppy dog look. They both sighed and Dax put his arm around Mom, waiting for me to join them. I smiled and moved next to Mom, holding the camera out in front of us before clicking the button. I looked at the image and smiled.

"That's a keeper, Kitten." Dax said as he looked over my shoulder at the photo. My smile grew when he used his nickname for me. We all hugged one more time before Dax and I walked hand in hand to the outskirts of the city, towards what used to be Muir Woods.


	2. Chapter 2

My Little Bird- 2

I breathed in the air around me. The forest was damp with dew and the world smelled like sap and water and clarity. I snapped a picture of a redwood with a humungous trunk.

"Rain." My head snapped toward Dax a few feet away. "Stay close." The humorous, mellow brother I knew was hiding, and the cautious, efficient Dax was in his place.

I jogged up to him and signed. _"Happy?"_

He turned away but I had already seen the grin he was trying to hide. I did as Dax asked and stayed close to his side, both of us quiet. I did what he couldn't and kept an ear out for danger, while Dax watched for any threats. We continued toward the dam, following an old, grown in path for three more hours until Dax called for a rest stop.

He sat down on a fallen log and I threw him our second bottle of water. I had drunk the first one one the way here and could hear a river, so I _decided_ to make use of it.

"_I'm going to go refill this._" I said and signed to Dax.

_"Where?"_ He signed back.

"_I hear water. I'll be back soon." _I turned toward the sound.

"Be careful." I heard him call. I raised a hand to acknowledge him. It took me about five minutes to get to the stream. I quickly filled the empty bottle and started on my way back. I toyed with the lanyard keeping my small camera around my neck as I walked, but when I got closer to the rest site I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard a loud roar.

I dashed past the shrub line keeping the camp from site and gasped in horror. Dax had been backed up against the trunk of a redwood by a big brown bear. It stood on its hind legs and gave another roar. Dax yelled out and swung his short machete he had taken with him. I dropped the water bottle and strung my bow with an arrow. I took aim and let the arrow fly. It lodged itself between the bears shoulder blades.

The animal gave another angered cry and turned to me, on all four paws. I picked up a rock and threw it at the bear, managing to hit the top of its head, which caused it to growl as it stalked toward. I raised my arms and signed at Dax to run.

"Hey! This way! Come this way bear!" I yelled as I backed up.

It huffed and stomped its paws into the ground at each step. "Rain, don't!" Dax yelled.

"_Dax, go! Please, run!_" I yelled back, signing frantically.

I strung my bow again and aimed, while walking backwards from the animal. But before I could let the arrow go, the bear crumpled to ground, two spears buried into its right side. I dropped the bow as I fell back with surprise, and Dax took the chance to run past the dying animal to me.

"Are you okay? Where does it hurt?" Dax looked me over frantically, totally overlooking the fact that it wasn't either of us that killed the bear. I was going to say something about it when I heard a thump, followed by a set of thuds. I looked past my brothers shoulder and my mouth dropped open.

Three large apes had dropped from the trees and were watching us. Dax, deaf to the sounds of their arrival kept looking me over. I finally grabbed his wrists in my hand and nodded to the large figures. He turned and gasped, moving in front of me protectively while helping me to my feet.

All three were chimpanzees. All standing on their hind legs. The one in the middle was tall with dark brown fur and had white paint on his chest and face, looking similar to ribs and a skull. It stared down at us with caution and authority. Obviously the leader of the three. The one to its right was shorter and thin furred, and a bit pale, but you could easily see the muscles in his arms and chest. The one to the leaders left was the smallest of the three, and seemed younger. It had dark fur and I spotted similar paint on its chest and face as the middle ape, but it's skull paint ended on its upper lip, and it carried a spear, where the other two did not.

Then the middle ape did something I never saw coming. "Why..are you here?" He spoke.

Dax only glared. "Get back!" He threatened, stepping farther in front of me.

"Dax, wait!" I put my hand his shoulder, and he turned his head so he could see me and keep an eye on the apes.

"_He spoke._" I signed.

Dax's expression changed from annoyance at my interruption of his brotherly protection to a confused glare. _"Impossible."_ He signed and said.

"_Apparently not_." I said and signed, stepping out from behind him a bit.

"You sure your not loosing your hearing as well?" He said, glancing at the apes, who stood watching silently.

"_I'm sure_." I insisted, and looked back at the apes as well.

"Why are you here?" The ape repeated.

"What did it say?" Dax asked.

_"He asked_-" I stopped when the ape repeated itself, and signed at the same time.

"You sign?" I blurted. The three apes looked at me, and I quickly averted my gaze.

"_Answer." _The ape sounded impatient.

I stepped forward, not wanting to irritate the strong primate. "_We need to go to the dam."_ I said and signed.

"Dam?" The ape didn't sign. I pointed at the mountain where it was located.

They turned and gazed at the mountain for a few seconds, the leader and the balding one exchanged a glance.

"What..are your names?" The leader asked, continuing to sign.

"_I'm Dax, this is my little sister. She's called Rain._" Dax signed.

The ape grunted and placed a hand on his chest. "Caesar." I quickly finger spelled the ape's name for Dax, and the ape waited patiently. "Caesar." placed his fingertips on the balding apes shoulder.

"Rocket." Again he waited for me to finger spell the second name before placing his fingers on the smaller ape.

"My son, Blue Eyes." I translated for my brother.

"Why. Do you need..to go this..dam." Caesar asked.

"_I was sent up here to fix it. If I can get it working then my home will have enough warmth and light for years to come. The generators we've been using are almost gone._" I explained quickly.

"_We have not seen humans, for many seasons. Why come now?_" Caesar asked.

"The generators were enough." Dax said. "Not much longer now though."

"_Please_." I said and signed. "_We don't want any trouble. We just want fix the dam and go back home. We won't bother you. I promise." _

Caesar scanned his gaze over Dax, then me, as if searching for lies in our bones. I was surprised to see green eyes when he looked me in the eye. My eyes were pulled to the smallest ape, and met his blue gaze._ I guess his name is literal._ I thought as I gazed into the blue eyed apes eyes. He stared back with an intense gaze, and I wondered what he was thinking. All of them were taller than me, I've always been small for my age, and I'm feeling a little more than inadequate next to all these taller males.

I was surprised when Dax started moving forward, after Caesar and Rocket. I dashed back to retrieve my bow and placed the bowstring over my chest and hurried to catch up. I touched Dax's arm to get his attention as we walked. "_What's going on?_" I signed.

He gave me look. "_Weren't you paying attention?_" He signed back, both of us staying silent. I gave an apologetic look and a shrug.

"_They say they'll take us in the right direction. We were off coarse. Caesar says he wants to see exactly what we do there, to make sure we're not a threat to their home" _He signed.

I nodded. "_That's understandable. We are on their territory."_ We fell completely silent after that, and I shouldered my backpack. We continued on in silence for two or three hours, yeah we were way off coarse. We stopped in a clearing for the night. Caesar turned to us.

"_You stay here..for the night. We will come back..tomorrow, take you to the dam_." He said and signed. His speech is pretty good for an ape.

"_Thank you._" I said and signed. Caesar nodded and all three apes climbed quickly up one of the redwoods circling us. I sighed and slid my backpack off my shoulders and searched for my tent. Dax helped me set it up, using rocks to hammer the pegs into the earth. When it was set up I threw my backpack into the tent and looked around. It was dusk, the sun starting to sink.

I picked up a pebble and tossed it near Dax's feet. It rolled over his foot and he looked down, then at me. "_I'm going to watch the sun._" I signed, refraining from verbal speech.

He gave me a look that said, _Do you have to?_ I just smiled an waved before turning my back to him and fixing my gaze on the redwoods surrounding me, and started plotting a way up in my head. I sighed and started toward two redwoods growing very close together, only about five or so feet separated the trunks.

I gave myself a running start, and jumped up, planting my right foot into the left trunk and used my momentum to push off, and dug my left foot into the right trunk before hopping back to the left. I continued doing this, gaining altitude jumping between the two massive trees. I placed my hand on each tree as I lifted off to give more thrust

My legs were starting to burn with the exercise, and I glanced up to see how far up to the branches. If I slowed down now, I would drop eleven feet. I puffed out a breath when I was finally able to push off and grab onto a branch. I swung my legs for a moment before using my core and pushing my legs upward and hooking my knees over the branch. I held my breath and I then pulled myself up onto the branch and sat there for a moment, resting my strained legs.

I looked down and seen Dax watching me, and waved down at him. He waved back but I could tell he wasn't too pleased. Dax never liked it when I climbed. I did it regularly at home, I'm not the most popular girl, and there are often crowds on the streets, so I jump from building to building to ruins and fire escapes to get places. Like the Ninja Turtles.

The sky was starting to turn pink, and I got to my feet quickly, balancing myself out with a hand on the tree trunk. I jumped to another branch in front of me and let go, swinging to a third. I plotted out a route in my head again and quickly made my way up the tree. I hopped on some branches like stepping stones and I swung from others like monkey bars. I finally made it to my limit. The branches above me were starting to thin out in location and size, and I no longer trusted them to hold my weight. I sat myself down and gazed at the view.

I could catch glimpse of the crimson colored Golden Gate Bridge from here, and was surprised by how far away it seemed. But what held my attention was the colors painting the sky above me. I had made it up just in time to see the sun slowly descending below the horizon to give spotlight to the moon for the night.

As the sun made its journey, the clouds were sprayed with rich oranges, soft pink streaks and cream colored lines. The sun burned a blazing orange, giving the world one last blast of light before it went to sleep. It was soon behind the tree line and I was draped in cool shadows. I shifted on my branch a bit as I waited for the finale. After a while, the orange dominated sky started to give way to a deep indigo purple, the clouds still fluffed with pink colors. This was my favorite part, when the sky bled my favorite color.

When I could see the North Star, I decided I should follow the suns example and get to back to the ground. This was the hard part. I sighed and started jumping down from branch to branch, slowly making my way down. When I could see the forest floor, I noticed Dax pacing by the tree roots, a fire burning a few feet from our little tent.

Taking a leap of faith, I started down the trunk the same way I got up, ungracefully and rushed. I winced at the bark burning my hands and I realized I might be in for a long night of picking out splinters. When I was just above Dax's height I pushed myself away from the redwood and rolled onto the ground. Dax turned at my landing and rushed over.

"Rain!" He growled with a mix of worry and annoyance, starting to check me over for injuries.

"_I'm fine, I'm fine._" I waved him away, getting to my feet. I dusted myself off and checked my palms over. They were cluttered with the redwood's stringy bark, but I was relieved that I only had three or so splinters. Quickly removing them, I glanced up at Dax, who had his arms crossed over his chest, his labor worked biceps bulging in the firelight. His dark eyes glinted as he glared at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Not safe." He said and shook his head, before pointing up at the tree I came from.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "_You worry too much._"

"Sometimes I don't think I worry enough." He muttered.

I turned and signed. "_Heard that._" Before turning back and ducking into the tent.

"You were supposed to." Dax muttered as he followed me in, zipping it up behind him. I slipped into my sleeping bag and closed my eyes, letting the exhaustion of the day take my consciousness away.


	3. Chapter 3

My little bird

I was back in the trees. But I had found a different tree to get up and was sitting on a sturdy branch, waiting for Dax to come out of the tent. I had watched the sunrise earlier, and was now bathing in its warm rays. I started humming the song Little Bird by Ed Sheeran and I couldn't help but to start singing it.

_"If we take this bird in_

_With its broken leg_

_We could nurse it _

_She said_

_Come inside for_

_A little lie down with me_

_If you fall asleep _

_It wouldn't be the worst thing_

_But when I wake up_

_You make up is on _

_My shoulder_

_And tell me if I lie down_

_Would you stay now and let me hold ya_

_Oh_

_But if I kiss you_

_Will your mouth read this truth_

_Darlin how I miss you _

_Strawberries taste how lips do_

_And it's not complete yet_

_Mustn't get our feet wet_

_Cause that leads to regret_

_Divin in too soon_

_And I'll owe it all to you oh_

_My little bird..._

_My little bird_

_If we take a walk out_

_In the morning dew_

_We could lay down_

_So I'm next to you_

_Come inside for_

_A little home made tea_

_If you fall asleep then_

_At least you're next to me_

_And if I wake up_

_You see it's late love_

_Go back to sleep_

_I'm covered by nature_

_And I'm safe now_

_Underneath this oak tree_

_With you beside me_

_(Chorus)_

_And I'll owe it all to you oh_

_My little bird..._

_My little bird_

_My little bird..._

_Your my little bird"_

I stopped there when I seen Dax come out of the tent frantically. I hurried down as he started calling for me. When I hit the ground I kicked a pebble toward him to try and get his attention as I hurried toward him. I brushed his shoulder with my fingertips. He turned around and sighed before crossing his arms over his chest again.

"You were in the trees again, weren't you?" He asked suspiciously.

I looked down for a second, then turned my eyes up and looked at him through my lashes. _"Maybe."_ I signed.

He sighed, annoyed. "_I don't know why you always insist on putting your life at risk."_ He said, his signing speeding up.

_"I'm fine. I've been climbing for years and I've only ever fallen once. I know what I'm doing_." I answered.

_"Yeah, and when you fell, you broke your foot Rain. And you haven't climbed many trees in more than a decade, not since the Ape Riot."_ He replied.

_"I remember how to climb trees_." I said and signed stubbornly before crossing my arms over my chest.

"Redwoods? If you fall from there, you loose your life." He growled.

"Then I better not fall." I said.

We ended having a stare off, both of us glaring into each others eyes. I was annoyed that he never trusted my skills. I know that he's just worried because he loves me but his lack of faith in me hurt. Dax suddenly broke out into a goofy grin and started chuckling. I raised a brow.

"_What are you laughing at?_" I asked.

"_You...you look just like mother right now."_ He said and signed while trying to control his breathing. The sight was too much, and I started laughing with him. Dax drew me under his arm and ruffled my hair, and I giggled and hugged him. He gave my temple a kiss and let me go, moving into the tent and tossing me a bag of jerky.

"_Eat_." He signed, still smiling.

I took a piece out and tossed him the bag, he took two pieces for himself and put the bag away again. I bit off a piece and chewed, plopping down onto the ground.

"So," Dax said as he swallowed a mouthful of jerky. "I guess we have to wait for Caesar to get here before we go."

I nodded. "_It's a good thing they found us._" I signed as I chewed. "_We'd probably be dead right now, and not to mention we were going in the wrong direction."_

_"Speaking of that_." Dax signed, and he got a look on his face. "_Don't do that again, Rain."_

"What?" I asked.

"_Don't try and save me_." He signed.

"That's ridiculous." I said. "_How can you ask that of me? You're my brother, I'm going to do something if your life is at risk._" Did he really expect me to listen to that bullshit?

"No, Rain. Not if it's a 1200 pound bear. I was fine, I could of handled it. You shouldn't of goaded it on like that. You can't outrun a bear, and I won't loose my sister." He shook his head.

"And you expect me to be okay with loosing my brother? Dax you weren't even supposed to come. I would have just gone high up in a tree until it left." I immediately regretted implying that it was his fault.

I sighed. _"I'm sorry. Let's not fight, okay?_" I asked.

He stared at me for a moment before nodding. I smiled and got up to hug him. He returned the hug and when we pulled apart, a horses neigh sounded. I turned to my right and seen a group of apes coming our way, a few, including Caesar, were on horseback. Dax and I stood up and waited for them to enter the clearing. They looked to have around thirty or so apes with them, but they stayed in the tree line while three on horses continued into the clearing.

I recognized Caesar and his son, Blue eyes, but I didn't know the third ape. The third chimpanzee's fur was dark and tinted silver, signs of aging. It had multiple scars all over its body, including a slash down its right eye, that same eye clouded over with what looked like cataracts. It's face was etched into a grim, narrow eyed glare, and I immediately felt nervous around this new ape.

Dax immediately took a step in front of me, shielding me halfway from view. I was thankful his toned shoulder blocked my view of the scarred ape, though I was still slightly annoyed. Did Dax think I couldn't defend myself?

_"Will you take us to the dam now?_" Dax called, I seen his shoulder move, so I was aware he signed as well as spoke. Some of the apes in the tree line, I noticed, looked genuinely shocked at his actions. Just as I had been, I thought.

Caesar gave a nod and a grunt, and looked pointedly to his right, and Blue Eyes got off his horse, and another took the reins from him. Four other apes in the tree line stepped forward with the young ape as he walked toward us. Our eyes locked again, but he quickly broke eye contact and stopped a few feet away.

_"Give us your guns_." He signed.

Dax immediately started to protest, but I stepped out and stopped his hands as the signed. I shook my head and signed. "_Just give him the gun, brother_." I signed.

Dax stared at me incredulously. "You can't be serious."

I arched a brow and and turned back into the tent and retrieved the rifle from Dax's backpack. I walked out and handed Blue eyes the gun, he took it, studying it for a moment, before passing it back to one of the apes behind him. I then reached into Dax's back pocket and took out the little revolver he had, emptied out the bullets so they tumbled with little thuds to the leaf strewn ground, and handed that too to Blue Eyes.

_"Other weapons too_." He signed next. Dax looked looked away and made a noise that sounded like a mix between a growl and a sigh, annoyed to all hell.

_"Oh would you quit fussing? Honestly, just do as they ask."_ I said aloud as I signed, getting annoyed with his immature behavior.

"Yeah? Well if they decide to attack what do we do?" He snapped.

I got his machete from the edge of the tent and walked back. "I assume they have a similar mind set, don't you think? Just comply so we can go." With that I handed Blue Eyes Dax's machete.

"You want my bow too?" I asked.

The ape nodded. I nodded back and went back into our little tent again and grabbed my bow and quiver of arrows and walked back out to the clearing. I stopped in front of Blue Eyes and hesitated to hand him the bow and arrows. These two things were my pride and joy, I made them myself, with a few tips from Dax, but I made it on my own and I didn't make it for anybody but me, and I know that sounds selfish but I've been selfless all my life, and it feels good to be selfish now and then.

I sighed and sucked it up, handing my handiwork to the ape in front of me, keeping eye contact the whole time. His namesakes blinked and he looked away, passing it to a female behind him.

"Please." I said. "Don't destroy the bow. It's very special to me." I kept my eyes downcast as I said so.

I didn't know if anyone acknowledged me, I just hoped. I felt a finger hook my chin and lift my head, and I met Dax's eyes, and he gave me that, "chin up" kind of smile. I smiled back and looked to Caesar.

He nodded his head backward in a beckoning manner, and both Dax and I ran back to the tent to grab our stuff. I pulled my backpack over my shoulder and draped my camera around my neck. Dax zipped up the tent behind me and jogged to my side as I followed the apes as they walked forward. The apes surrounded us, and I could feel their stares boring into me from all angles.

I kept silent and tried to keep my eyes down, but I couldn't help glancing up around me every now and then. I was intimidated by the sheer size of both the group and each individual ape. I was like the runt of a litter, only it was just me in the litter, and being around so many tall and large and strong, intelligent animals was still making me feel smaller than before.

My eyes glanced up again and accidentally met with the blue orbs of Caesar's son. He held my gaze for a few moments as we walked, and after what felt like an hour of just gazing into those sky colored eyes, he signed to me. "_Where did you learn sign?"_

"_My brother became deaf three years ago. We taught each other. With books._" I signed back, keeping my mouth shut as I jerked my head in Dax's direction.

_"He can't hear?"_ Blue Eyes asked.

"_No."_

_"But he speaks. I once heard that deaf humans don't speak."_ He signed back. Where did he hear about deaf humans?

_"Most don't. But Dax lost his hearing when he was sixteen years old, he remembers how to speak." _I answered anyway.

"_Weird_." He shook his head.

I smiled and let out a small puff of air through my nose in the form of a laugh. We carried on silently up the mountain until we reached what looked to me to be a stream of lumber. We were at our destination, the loud thundering of the waterfall sprayed up a thin sheet of mist, making the wood damp. We started climbing, Dax first. We walked across the logs, but I strayed closer to the edge, while Dax kept back a bit. I stood on one that was jutting out over the waterfall to look down. I turned around and seen Dax staring at me with an unknown expression, and the apes had stopped and were watching me too. I stood with my heels on the very edge of the log, then waved one hand from my temple and out in a quick 'thank you, govna' motion and stepped of the log and dropped.

"Rain!" Dax screamed.

I had landed on the metal floor of the dam, and was looking up at my brother, leaning on the rail with a smirk. He glared down at me and jumped.

"Rain..." He growled.

I smiled nervously at him, then ignored him and looked up at Caesar and Blue Eyes, who were looking down at us.

"Come on." I nodded my head toward the door in the dam.

"Rain." Dax got my attention again. He cuffed me gently upside the head. "Don't do that again. Scared the fuck outta me."

I held back my laugh and signed "_sorry_" to him. He sighed and shook his head, smiling.

I tried the knob, but, as expected, it was locked. I sighed and backed away. "Locked. Dax, would you?" I asked, gesturing to the door.

He walked up to it and kicked the door. The wood was weakened by the constant spray of water, the hinges were rusted and the door fell easily under the force of the kick.

"_Nice."_ I commented after taking out a lantern. I lit it and walked inside, hearing the footsteps of Dax and the apes as they followed me. I led them down the corridors, following signs as I went. I made it into the main workings room and turned the lantern off, seeing as sunlight trickled in through windows.

_I quickly stepped down the stairs and began explaining to Caesar. "This is what we used to call, a small hydro. It was built to service areas to the North of here, but we've been working to reroute the power lines to the city." _I recited what I knew about this from all my lessons. "The city used to run on nuclear power but that went down for the count years ago, so we've been using_ diesel generators and gasifiers. But if I can just get this dam working, then we have a shot at restoring limited electrical power." _I made sure to sign the whole time in case they didn't understand.

"Is any of this making any sense to you?" Dax asked from beside me.

"The...lights." He responded in a whisper-like tone.

I smiled and nodded. "_Exactly. This is your home, I know that and I don't want to take it from you, I promise. But if you can allow us to do our work here-_"

"You, brought others." The scarred ape spoke up, saying it more as an accusation than a question.

"_No. It's just my brother and I. I don't know for sure but I think it's safe to say that a team will be sent to see what's happened to us if we're not done in a week. But I don't know if I can get this whole thing running again in seven days, even with Dax's help._" I decided to be honest with them.

_"I'm just one girl, there's only so much I can do in so little time. But the sooner I get to work, the sooner I leave."_ I hoped I didn't just fuck things up. Caesar gazed around the dam for a few moments.

"Can't trust humans!" The scarred one yelled, stalking towards me, Dax was immediately by my side pulling me behind him.

"Koba." Caesar snapped, and the scarred ape, Koba, stopped right in his tracks.

I stepped out from behind my overprotective brother and faced Caesar again. "We're not a threat." I didn't sign this time, because I didn't want Dax to know what I was about to say, and I knew he wouldn't be able to read my lips at this angle. "If we are then you can just kill me now."

Caesar stared into my eyes for a long time, weighing the truth of my words. I sat still and waited patiently, trying not to squirm under all the eyes on me. I was worried they were going to reject us. What do we do then? They took our weapons. My fear was festering as the silence grew longer.

The great leader gazed into my hazel eyes for a long time, his face masked from emotion. I focused on my breathing, in and out, in and out, as I stared into the ape's green eyes. Then finally, he spoke.

"You...can stay." He said. Some of the apes looked at him, but none protested accept for Koba.

"_Caesar, no!"_ He signed angrily before growling and turning to leave. Caesar watched the scarred ape go, a glare in his eyes. But when he turned back to us, the glare was gone.

_ "Thank you, Caesar_." I said and signed.

He nodded and made eye contact with a few of his apes, before sweeping his arm out in a 'you can go' manner. Three left, leaving Caesar, Blue Eyes, Rocket, a gorilla and a large bronze colored orangutan in the dam with us. I didn't know if they wanted anything further, so I slid my backpack to the ground and sorted through it until I found my tool belt.

I secured it around my waist and and clapped my hands together. I turned to my brother. "Let's get started." He nodded and I made my way to the machinery. When I analyzed the wiring to see if I could get the communications system up, and realized it was a no-go, I gave up on communications and moved to a different area and opening the metal panel. I got on my back and slid under with a lantern for light.

The rest of my day was spent there, working on the wiring and things. After what I thought had only been an hour or two, I felt a nudge on my ankle. I slid out and sat up to see Dax looking down at me. I gave him a questioning look.

"_Time to head in for the night._" He signed.

I was about to question why, when I looked around and realized that the sun would be setting soon, judging by the small about of light straining in from the windows. I nodded and collected my tools before closing the panel and dropping my tool belt into the backpack.

"_When did it get so late_?" I asked, as I shouldered my bag.

Dax gave a thoughtful look. "Give me some time, I'll come up with a smart ass reply sooner or later." I laughed, and looked to where the Orangutan was standing with Blue Eyes, and another chimp.

"We're going back to our campsite, yeah?" Dax asked from behind me.

Blue Eyes nodded, and they led the way out. When we got off the logs outside, I seen Caesar and a few other apes waiting, Caesar on horseback. He nodded to us in greeting and turned the horse around. We started on our way back, once again flanked by apes. I started trailing a little ways behind my brother, exhausted.

When we got back to the clearing, I seen Dax standing frozen, staring at something. I kept my eyes on him as I joined his side, then I looked to where his eyes rested and gasped. The campsite was in ruins. The little tent was ripped to shreds, blankets and tin cooking tools scattered around the clearing, ripped and torn. I ran into the ruins of the tent, and started rummaging. I found what I was looking for and gasped in despair. The food rations we had taken were useless, trampled and eaten. What was left was too dirty to eat. I held up my discovery to Dax as he joined me.

"What are we gonna do?" I looked up at my big brother.

His expression was shocked. "A bear must've found it." He didn't seem to be answering me.

"Well its done it now. That was all the food we had." I sighed, defeated. _"Brother, what do we do? We can't go back without finishing that dam, who knows what Dreyfus will do to me if we do." _

He grabbed my shoulders lightly. "We'll figure something out. I'll take care of you, we'll be okay." He failed at his attempt to be reassuring.

_"Without the tent we won't last the night, don't you smell the rain in the air? We'll freeze to death by morning, or that bear will come to finish us off, or some other predator."_ Then something else dawned on me. "_Then what happens to mother if we're gone? She can't take care of the baby all alone._" I was panicking. If both Dax and I die, then sooner or later so does my mother.

"Rain, calm down. Don't scare yourself." He tried to sooth me as I chewed on my lip and looked down at the tattered remains of our shelter. "Mother has Malcolm with her. She'll be okay with him around." Dax tried again.

"But you know how stubborn she can be. She probably wouldn't want to accept his help. That woman has a head harder than a rock." I said, looking down.

"She's not an idiot. She knows she has to keep herself alive for the baby inside her. And us." Dax said. That helped a little. Sort of.

"_What are we going to do?" _I let myself fall onto my ass, pulling my knees up and shoving my face into my arms. "We're gonna die." I sobbed into my arms.

"Rain." I didn't look up at Dax. He repeated himself and I looked up to see Caesar standing beside him.

"Say thank you to our lifesaver." Dax said.

I quirked my head to the side with confusion. "Caesar has decided to let us stay with the apes." Dax signed.

I gasped and my eyes widened as they flew to Caesars green eyes. All I could do was stare at him, mouth gaping like an idiot. This ape had barely known us a day, and yet had saved our lives twice. Confusion, shock and disbelief flowed over me at this ape's kindness.

"W-why..?" I was utterly confused. I was unused to kindness from anyone outside my family. At the colony, I'm a reject. No one gives a damn about me, so why the hell would this person who's not even human care about my well being?

Caesar never answered my question.


	4. Chapter 4

My little bird- 4

I was exhausted.

My head stayed down as I relied on my feet to keep me upright without the help of vision. I picked my way over moss blanketed roots and over depressions. Green was this world. Everything I saw was green and lush and growing and living and I recognized herbs I was familiar with living plentifully here while plants of the same kind were in clay pots fighting for sunshine in the little herb garden my mother and I shared in a pitiful rectangular plastic basin filled up with little clay pots and bowls and cups stuffed with dark soil and sewn with seeds and herbs and the hope of their growth.

Dax kept nudging me and touching my arms and shoulders trying to get my attention but I never spared him more than a glance. All I wanted was to stop right here, plant myself with the herbs among the moss beds and sleep for a year or two. But I kept trudging on in the failing light, following the dull thuds of hooves walking over the forest floor and the occasional kick of a pebble as apes on horseback walked on. I was forced to raise my head when we reached a steep hill that needed to be climbed.

I dug my fingertips into the soft ground and pulled my small amount of weight upwards, following after our simian saviors. I gasped when I felt a tug on my shoulders and turned as Dax took my backpack off me. He put it on his front side as he already had his own occupying the space of his broad back. 

I gave him a look and held my hand out for it back. He shook his head and continued to climb. I reached out and tried to slide it off his shoulder but he stopped me and shook his head at me again. I rolled my eyes and signed, asking him why he wouldn't give it to me. 

_"You'll be falling asleep on your feet soon. Let me carry the extra weight_." He signed back gently.

I sighed, sort of annoyed that he wouldn't let me carry my own weight, but I knew he wouldn't let up, and my back was loosening without the burden of the backpack.

"

_Thank you."_ I signed. He nodded and trudged on.

When we made it to the top, a visible path was stamped out on the ground. We followed it until we reached a humongous wood structure. I stopped in my tracks in awe. The great wall towered over me, casting a shadow over my head. At the top, spears were lining the rim, warning anything smart not to come near here. I was shaken out of my reverie when a hand nudged me forward. I glanced behind me and seen it had been a chimp. A chimp with a big spear. It wasn't poised to strike, but I seen it none the less.

I walked on, trying to lift my heavy feet. Dax grabbed a hold on my hand as we entered the structure. Beyond the outer wall, we walked down a short passage, and I looked upward when I heard hooting, and seen more chimpanzees and even what looked like a young orangutan moving along the wood sticking out, watching as we were escorted into the heart of the massive structure.

The passage opened up and the first thing I noticed was the huge boulder that jutted out sort of like the Great Rock from Lion King, though this one was smaller, and the pigment had been washed away by the rains, leaving it a bone-like silver color. Apes were all around, chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, and orangutans. I even seen what looked to be a school class in session. A large orangutan was surrounded by younglings, trying to teach them certain signs, though none paid attention. All the younglings were turned, watching as the party brought us in, and I could feel all the pairs of eyes on me and Dax, that I was shocked shy out of my sleepiness.

We were led toward a trail leading up to a great tree, growing on a rock that reminded me of a small cliff. The tree was absolutely massive, and must have been hollow, for I could see fire lights from inside. There was a spiral of logs jutting out of the ground and into the massive tree strongly and densely packed together, leading up and up into the tree. Stairs. We were lead to an opening in the tree, covered by a curtain of vine plants, it was dark inside, and I couldn't see what was here, but then, I heard the clank of rocks striking, and the flash of sparks. Soon the cave like area was lit by a little bonfire. I seen an ape move to another on the other side of the chamber and strike two flint rocks together over a pit full of tinder, surrounded by small rocks. The next fire was going in a few moments, and the chamber was well lit.

It was spacious, and had a few gourds hanging from the ceiling in certain places, which clanked together hollowly as they were disturbed. I guessed they were meant to hold water or something like that. The ground was covered in thick patches of moss, and much to my surprise, other parts of the ground looked sandy. The walls were also smooth, as though washed clean by rainfall, but I didn't see how that could of happened. There were also objects hanging from some places in the ceiling. They looked like plates with large upward rims. I soon discovered they were lamps when they too were ignited by the ape with the flint rocks.

"You..will stay..here. Safest place." I turned at Caesar's voice.

"_Thank you. So much. I don't know how I can ever repay you for this kindness."_ I signed and said respectfully, hoping he could see how much I meant it. This ape had saved the life of me and my brother twice in two days. _I'll never forget this_. I thought.

He gave a brisk nod and gestured to the moss. "Rest. Ape will fetch you...in the morning." He said before turning and leaving, the other two apes following. Dax and I were left alone with our thoughts.

_"Is this a dream?"_ I signed to Dax, suddenly unsure I was actually conscious.

He seemed amused and a little taken aback by my question. "_I don't think so."_ He signed back. He then moved toward me and put his hands on my shoulders, and pulled me toward the moss.

"Do as Caesar says and sleep. You're exhausted, little sister." He spoke as he guided me. I let him lay me down and watched as he laid down a few inches from me on the moss, as it was large enough to support two, with his back to me.

"Goodnight." He said, not turning to look at me. So I reached over and gave his shoulder a little squeeze and a tap before turning over and staring into the fire that burned around three or four feet away from me. It's warmth radiating over me like a blanket, and I imagined fiery ballerinas and flying trapeze acrobats flying and dancing in the silky flames. I drifted to sleep as the little ballerina twirled around and blew a warm kiss at me at the end of her pirouette.

-the next day-

I blew a puff of air out through my nose as something soft brushed against the ticklish tip. It brushed my cheek next, but it was warm and sort of cupped my face, and I felt myself lean into the touch. I refused to open my eyes and ruin this nice dream, but my dream eyes were closed too, and I couldn't see who was touching me. 

"Rain."

Dax's voice sounded just above my head. I kept my eyes closed, not finding the motivation to open them. The hand returned on my shoulder, and shook me lightly. I let out a quiet, halfhearted moan of annoyance I knew Dax wouldn't hear. He shook my shoulder again.

"Wake up, sister." He said.

I opened my eyes slightly and gazed up at him. He gave me a quick smile before it vanished. "You need to get up." He said, the small deaf accent he had acquired since the explosion that took his hearing coated his words. The accent came on and off.

"_Why..?"_ I signed.

He moved his body to the side, and I was left looking at the entrance to our tree cave thing. There stood Blue Eyes, and Rocket, a large orangutan with a flat face could be seen behind the two. I immediately opened my eyes more and sat up.

"Is it morning already?" I asked, speaking to no one in particular. 

_"You will eat, then we will take you to the dam_." Blue Eyes signed.

I nodded. "_Thank you, Blue Eyes_." I signed back.

We held eye contact and I noticed that he was pretty handsome. For an ape. His sky blue iris' bore into my eyes and I was certain the young ape could see into my soul. He had a rather humanoid face, in my opinion, and reminded me sort of like the chimps drawn in a child's book. His expression was a mask of caution, but in those eyes I could see something else I couldn't name. He nodded his head and turned to leave, the vine plants swinging back into place. I could see his shadow on the plants and knew he was waiting for us outside. I quickly changed out of my stiff, dirty jeans and into a pair of shorts, that being the first thing I grabbed. I knew it probably wasn't the best choice, but the weather here could go from pouring rain to warm sunshine, and right now the weather had taken up the latter. But to be safe I pulled on my jacket over a freshly changed long sleeve shirt.

I pulled on my shoes and looked toward Dax. He had a strange expression on and pink cheeks as he laced his own shoes. When he stood and saw me staring he huffed. "You could of warned me before stripping." He crossed his arms, annoyed. I gasped a laugh. The poor boy must of been flabbergasted! I wasn't that bothered by it, because I knew he had turned away before I could shed my shirt, so I had no real problem with Dax seeing a little bit more of my legs than usual. He was my brother after all, my gay brother at that. What's he gonna do?

Dax asked if I was ready, and when I nodded he opened the plant curtain for me and I walked out, into the sunshine. Heads turned in my direction, and I immediately froze, staring out at the sea of dark furred bodies. My feet felt like stone, and I felt a blush dust my cheeks. After what seemed like years, most of the gazes shifted elsewhere, and I let out a relieved sigh. After a grunt from Rocket, I turned and followed him and Blue Eyes down to a place to my right, farther into the camp. I found many apes gathering near here, and in front of me I seen meat roasting over spits over crackling fires, and on a long stone slab that I concluded that if it were a table, it would seat twenty people, food was laid out.

There was fruits and vegetables and nuts and berries. I spotted some plants that I was certain did not grow in deciduous forests. But that didn't hold my attention for long, what did was my awareness of all the eyes on me again, and I felt nerves cause butterflies to erupt into a swarm of shy colors in my stomach. Blue Eyes and Rocket paid no attention to the other apes as they lead us toward where Caesar was sitting in front of a fire pit by a rocky overhang with another chimpanzee.

This new ape was female. The first thing I noticed about her was her beauty. Her face was shining with health, and her features were soft and delicate and fit her face well, a small smile played on her lips. Her fur was a shade of black that almost looked blue. Her eyes were a pale, pretty green and when she turned to look at our approach, her smile stayed.

Upon nearing, I realized that the two were not alone, a small ape child was sitting between the two. He seemed very fascinated with his foot at the moment, and I felt a small smile cross my face at the sight of this infant. Blue Eyes sat down on the log next to Caesar, nodding his head to the female, and looking up at Dax and I. I seen Rocket encourage Dax to sit down, and he pulled me down next to him. Blue eyes got up and went down to the slab of rock and I turned my attention to Caesar, who was watching the rest of the apes with a bit if a glare.

When I glanced to see, I noticed their gazes were anywhere but me, and that made me feel better. I looked up when I felt a small caress on my arm, and seen the female ape looking at me kindly.

_"Good morning_." She signed.

I smiled at her friendliness. "_Good morning_." I returned politely.

"_Sleep good?"_

"_Yes, thank you."_ I signed back, and seen Dax nod through the corner of my eye.

_"What is your name, child?"_ She gazed into my eyes.

"_Rain. This is my big brother, Dax_." I introduced, even though I had a nagging feeling she already knew.

She nodded. "_I am Cornelia."_

_"It's nice to meet you_." I signed.

_"You as well_." She returned. After her last hand movement, Blue Eyes returned with two pieces of curved bark in his hands. He handed each to Dax and I. When I glanced down, I seen it was a food plate.

"Thank you." I said quietly up at Blue Eyes as I watched Dax sign my words to the ape. He nodded with a grunt and went back to the slab, to get his own I assume.

I picked up a blackberry and brought it to my lips, happy to taste the treat I hadn't gotten in years. My mother and I couldn't plant berry bushes, and it had been almost a decade since I had eaten one. I quickly remembered why blackberries were my second favorite berry, next to strawberries.

When I had finished most of my plate, I felt something strange on my leg. Before I could glance down it was gone and on my arm. I turned my head to see the baby chimpanzee that had been playing with his foot on the ground was now on the log, holing my arm in his tiny hands. He stared up at me uncertainly. I made eye contact with his light blue eyes that reminded me of Caesar's son.

The baby soon got over his hesitation and moved to my lap, and I promptly moved the plate to the log beside me as he made his switch in location. I kept my hands off him, not wanting to startle him. The little ape gazed at my chest, and I waited to see what would happen. The little thing reached out and poked my right breast, and squeaked. I giggled, supposing he hadn't expected the difference from ape breasts. He soon got over it and poked me again, and I hoped he wouldn't make a game out of it, knowing that the flesh would soon become tender.

Luckily, he wasn't interested in my boobs very long, and was now gazing me again. He then reached up and placed his palm on top of my nose. I decided to indulge the small child and puffed my cheeks up with air. He let out a little squeak of delight and moved his hand off my nose and placed both hands on my cheeks. They defaulted under his touch and the little ape let out a happy giggle and moved his palm back to my nose. I once again blew my cheeks up with air and when he put his hands on my cheeks, I didn't let the air escape.

He made a confused noise and took his hands off my face, and I let the air leave me. The young child put his hand back on my nose again, and I let my cheeks puff up again. We played this game for a short while, until he decided to climb up and shove his face into my hair. I smiled fondly at the cute thing.

"_He likes your smell_." Cornelia signed to me with a smile.

I smiled happily. "_He's so cute. What's his name?"_ I signed back.

"Haze." Caesar spoke. "My second son." He had a proud tone to him.

I smiled. "Congratulations." I said, seeing as the child was pretty young. (AN: I decided to speed up his birth because I couldn't wait to get him in there) Caesar nodded with fond smile at his child.

Dax tapped my knee and I turned to him, he gave a confused expression, and I realized he had missed this part of the conversation. I quickly signed what had been said and he nodded, signing his own congratulations to Caesar. I turned back to young Haze, and he had a lock of my rich brown colored hair in his fingers, playing with it.

Blue Eyes got my attention. "_You ready to go now?"_ He signed, pointing afterwards in the direction of the dam. I glanced at Dax and he nodded his agreement, so we bid goodbye to Cornelia and Kato and followed Caesar, Blue Eyes and two other chimps I didn't know to the dam (making a pit stop at the tree cave to retrieve my tools) When we got into the dam, I set to work quickly.

I found my work faltering every now and then when my thoughts took me back to Caesar's clan. I was truly amazed by everything there. The school sessions, the way the apes lived together. I recalled seeing two young females laughing with each other on my way out, and smiling. It had reminded me of my friendship with my mother.

By the time I felt Dax nudge my ankle with his foot, I was in two worlds. I slid out from under where I was working, and looked up at him in confusion. There was still good sunlight filtering in through the high windows, there was still another half hour at least of time to work.

"_Time to go."_ He signed.

"So early?" I asked, standing up.

"_They'd like to be back by dinner_." He signed.

I nodded and packed my stuff into my tool belt. I let Dax lead me down and out to where Caesar and Blue eyes waited. I seen more apes farther away, and I supposed we'd be following them back to the clan.

"We go now." Caesar said. I didn't interpret for Dax, knowing he got the gist, and nodded at Caesar. They led the way through the forest, Dax and I close behind. Suddenly they both stopped and looked down the path we were walking on. Everyone fell silent as we gazed down the tan bark and soil path, sounds of the forest ceasing, as if the trees were listening. I heard what they heard, mumbling and grumbling coming from down the path. Human.

"_Someone's coming_." I signed for Dax before turning to the two ape escorts. "_I really think you should get to the trees. I have a bad feeling."_ I felt my stomach twist inside me as I turned back to the path. I heard nothing behind me but a grunt or two above me, and I gave silent thanks that the apes had heeded my warning.

When I turned back, I could see a figure moving slowly toward us, toting a backpack. When the figure got closer, I knew who it was, and felt fear rake it's claws over my body. I recognized the older boy as Drake Nevis. A bully who loved to pick on me. He looked up and stopped when he seen me.

"You." He didn't sound happy. At all.

I stepped forward. "Why are you here?"

He smirked. "I have a message for you." My stomach dropped for some reason. I didn't want to hear what he had to say at all. Something was screaming in my head to cover my ears and crouch on the ground and make myself small. But I gulped and raised my voice again.

"What is it?"

"Lana Harley is dead."

My whole world froze in place. Drake's stupid face stood statue still with that sneer on his face. He had the nerve to smile while he brought me this news that had to be a lie. I think my brain was shaking its head in denial, because I knew my head stayed stiff and still on my neck. He's lying. He has to be lying.

"What did he say?" Dax's voice said behind my ear desperately. "Rain, I read his lips wrong. What did he say?" He didn't read Drakes lips wrong.

I felt myself turn to Dax. I couldn't tell him. I couldn't control my hands. It was like I was watching my body from the outside, but at the same time I knew I was in my body because I could feel this burning, smoldering, blazing, mind breaking pain in my chest.

"_He said..."_ I could barely control my hands as I tried to control my emotions enough to convey this terrible revelation to my poor, strong, deaf brother. "_That mother is..."_ I can't do it. "_Dead_." I did it.

My heart sobbed.

"No." Dax whispered. He swayed on his feet and I tried in vein to reach out to steady my brother through the stinging in my burning eyes. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no no no _no_." He fell to his pushed his forehead into his knees and buried his fingers into the hair at the back of his head. I knew his spine must have been screaming at him as his shoulders trembled with grief and denial.

"Oh, would you get up? Everyone has lost someone, now get up and toughen up, faggot." Drake said, his voice held nothing but annoyance.

"Don't call him that!" I snapped, beyond angry that this man had the nerve to insult my brother like this. I wanted to cry in frustration when I couldn't figure out how to let that anger out.

"What did you say?" Drake growled at me, quickly closing the space between us until there was barely a foot between us. I hoped to God that I wasn't trembling as much as my core was.

"Don't call him that." I repeated, determined to defend my vulnerable brother despite my fear.

He grabbed my wrist and twisted it unnaturally, bring me to my knees with a cry of pain. "You don't tell me what to do, _street rat!"_ He yelled.  
>Drake through me to the ground, my wrist burning. I had no time to recover because right away he had kicked my gut. I gasped as the air left me and I quickly curled up into a fetal position, my arms over my head. I whimpered when his shoe collided into my shin, a bruise starting to bloom. Kick after kick assaulted me until, finally, it stopped, only for Drake to drag me to my knees by my hair. I let out a squeak and cry at the pain in my scalp.<p>

"What's he saying, street rat? Tell me!" He thundered. I opened my eyes to see Dax with his head still bowed, but his hands were raised and signing toward the area where Drake once stood. I quickly tried to follow Dax's movements, and put them into spoken words for this tyrant above me.

_"_

_...disgusting. You have the nerve to come up here where you are unwanted and lie to me? Dirty pig! She is not dead. When I go home, mother and Rain will be sitting on the ground braiding beads into each others hair just like always. You're a liar, dirty fucking coward. Liar, liar liar lair liar..."_ I stopped and craned my neck painfully to look up at Drake. "Please...I can't say anymore."

Enraged, Drake through me to the ground and stomped toward Dax. I stumbled to my feet and grabbed his raised fist in my hands, trying to pull him away from my seemingly grief-delirious brother. "Don't hurt him!" I yelled.

Drake threw me off with a strong shake and I fell to the ground again. He pulled me up by my hair again and slapped me hard. I let out another yelp of pain and terror as his hand connected with my cheek with a stinging crack. My head jerked to the side and I quickly looked back up at him, scared of what he would choose to do next. After two seconds of eye contact, he seemed to grow angrier and threw my down hard into the soil.

"Don't look at me, Freak Eyes!" He yelled. I quickly snapped my face toward the ground, listening for his approach. He thrust his foot into my gut again and I coughed. I risked a glance up and seen he had walked a few steps away.

"That's all I had to say. Hurry up with that dam would you?" His tone was completely different now, like he had simply patted my shoulder instead of beaten me.

I allowed myself to sit up a bit and call weakly after him. "We'll be back in a few days."

He stopped, and my stomach dropped. "Now, see, you won't be back in a few days." He turned around but stayed in place.

"What are you talking about?" I said, a cough following my words.

"I mean, since the fag over there is over eighteen, he can do whatever the hell he wants. But you, on the other hand, are still a minor. With no parent or legal guardian, you belong to all of us now. And guess what? We don't want you." He growled the last part.

"So when you're done up in this wasteland, go do us a favor and jump off a cliff." He grunted, turning and walked away. I sobbed, and stared down and my hands, littered with dirt. The sound of a sniffle found my ears and I turned to see Dax sitting on his butt with his face buried in my drawn up legs. I got to my feet, sore as ever, and dropped myself beside my brother. I wiggled my way into his embrace and all at once we clung to each other tightly.

It was in that moment I let myself really register the fact. My mother is dead, and I have no home.


	5. Chapter 5

My little bird- 5

I cried silently into my brother, who tried even harder than I to be silent. I shoved my face into his body and wanted desperately to feel my mother embrace us, envelope us in her wonderful lavender scent and tell us it was nothing but a bad dream. But my mother couldn't do that. Not anymore. My heart clenched painfully once more at the thought.

A hand touched my shoulder and I squeaked and flinched in fright, cowering into my brother before I could register that it had been a light, comforting touch and not one meant to inflict pain. After a few moments the touch returned, feather light. It seemed to calm my inner turmoil some, like sunlight filtering through an angry sea storm after the waves have finished their tantrum. I leaned into the touch some, and it seemed to freeze for a moment before it started to rub little circles into my back and shoulder.

I was able to calm myself some, enough to trap the tears I still had inside, saving them for later when I would need them. My shoulders stopped shaking after a few more minutes, and when I couldn't breathe, and my face was warm, I wriggled my head out of Dax's grip, and he relocated his arm that had been holding my neck to my back. I wiped my tears off my face and let out a little gasp when I felt a touch on my wrist.

Blue Eyes was by my side, he had been the one touching me. His gaze was locked on my wrist, and his fingers grazed over the bruised flesh of where Drake had grabbed me. It was radiating heat and it throbbed painfully, I felt a single tear slid down my cheek. My eyes were drawn up to the young ape's eyes, and I had yet another moment of intense, silent, not unpleasant eye contact with him.

"_Why did he do that?"_ He signed, his confusion perfectly clear. I could also see a few other emotions swimming around in his oceanic eyes, I could identify worry and disgust among them.

I sighed defeatedly and shook my head. "I wish I knew."

Dax lifted his head and froze. I caught his eye and his gaze was on my cheek, eye brows furrowed. He reached out at touched my face, and my cheek stung, causing me to flinch.

"He hurt you?" Dax whispered.

I looked away. "Rain." He said.

"_It's nothing_." I said and signed.

Dax never replied. He simple untangled himself from me, and got to his feet. I was left sitting on the ground watching him walk down the path. When I realized what my brother planned to do, I gasped and got to my feet, trying to ignore the limp I had. I stood in front of the much taller male and started speaking and signing to him.

_"Dax, no. Please don't."_

"Get out of my way, Rain." He tried to step around me, but I blocked him again.

"_The damage is done, Brother. Revenge isn't going to make me heal any faster. Leave it, please_." I begged.

He stared me down, and I met his chocolate gaze pleadingly. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, turning away. When he turned back, he took a step away and studied me. I took the time to do so myself, and asses my wounds. Bruises dotted my legs, and I regretted choosing to wear shorts today. My cheek stung and when I put a finger to it, blood was left on my finger. Drake must have been wearing a ring. My head was hot and throbbing, a headache starting to bloom where he had pulled my hair.

"Why didn't you tell me? You know you could have gotten my attention at any time. Why didn't you tell me?" I flinched at the hurt in Dax's voice.

I looked down at my toes, not answering. He walked over to me and put his hands on the spaces between my neck and shoulders. I still refused to meet his gaze. "You have to stop this. Don't try to protect me. It's my job to protect you. And I failed." He pulled me to his chest. "I'm so sorry, baby sister."

Tears threatened to spill again, but I blinked them back, pushing away a little to look at my big brothers face. He had tears shining his eyes as well. He knew no matter how many times he told me to stop, I would never. I decided to pull away from the subject.

"_He said something else_." I signed, trying to wrangle in my emotions again. I stepped out of my brothers embrace and looked at his hands as they hung by his sides. "_I can't go back_."

Silence. And then, "What do you mean 'can't go back'?"

I met Dax's eyes once again and signed. "_No more home."_

"Thats bullshit! Who are they to treat you like this? Ever since the virus broke out, you've been treated worse than dirt, and I'm sick of it! You don't fucking deserve it! You shouldn't have to be afraid of your own species. Don't try to deny it! I know how terrified you are in that city!" He pointed a finger at me when I tried to protest. "You're a sweet girl and you've suffered too much too soon." He ranted. He was enraged, and pacing back and forth in the soil.

"_Sshh! You're speaking too loudly_!" I hissed at him.

"I don't care! I'm so fucking frustrated! I can't hear my own voice and it's driving me crazy!" He growled.

"_Dax, calm down_." I was fighting to keep the tears at bay while I signed.

He growled again and punched a tree trunk. The bark splintered and flew away in a cloud of dust and wooden shrapnel in Dax's wake. Working in the were houses and fields had made his body hard and strong, but his mind I feared was not as strong as I had thought. I was getting very worried. He was getting too noisy, and destructive. I limped my way toward him and threw my arms around Dax. He struggled in my grip for a few seconds before falling completely limp, arms at his sides. He sucked in a slow, deep breath, and wrapped his arms around me. We stood there for about a minute, before he pulled away and took a step back with a sigh.

"You're right. Revenge won't do anyone any good and neither will having a tantrum like a big baby." Dax admitted, cooled down. "I'm sorry if I was too loud. I just wish I could get you away from all their hate. I'm sorry I'm always snapping at you for your climbing, I just... I love you, Kitten. And we're all we have left now." He cupped my face in his large hands.

"I can't believe she's gone." I murmured, holding Dax's wrists in my fingers. He kissed my forehead, and I turned when I heard a throat clear itself. Caesar and Blue Eyes were standing feet away, watching us. It was darker now, no doubt dinner had already started. Caution was in both their eyes, and I guessed it was because of Dax's outburst.

I sighed. "_Sorry you had to see that..."_

"Come. Dangerous at night." Caesar signed back, though it was getting harder and harder to see. The ape king turned and started walking down the path again, toward the village, but I couldn't move. I was frozen in place by Blue Eyes' glacial gaze. It was like he had encased my feet in steel blocks, rendering me unable to move as he held my gaze. But he slowly turned and followed his father and I was released from the strange enchantment.

I clutched Dax's hand in mine as we followed the apes, needing the contact with my brother to keep me from falling apart. I could smell the village before I could see it, the scent of fire and cooking meat hung heavy in the air, the scent making my stomach growl with hunger. I seen Blue Eyes glance back at the sound, but I refused to meet his gaze as my cheeks heated up in embarrassment.

The fire pits were alive with the hot element, and many apes were sitting around bonfires on logs and rocks. Again I was subject to many stares, but I heard a grunt from Caesar and with a simple wave of his arm in a nothing-to-see-here manner, they turned back to their own businesses. We were lead to the hollow in the tree where we spent the night, and Blue Eyes went about setting the first fire pit aflame for us. He used the fire from the first to light the second pit and the lamps hanging down.

My gaze stayed on the ground as the cave was lit up with an orange, flickering glow. I gave a little start when I felt a large hand on my shoulder, and looked up to meet Blue Eyes' namesake. His eyes held sympathy as he passed by slowly. When he passed through the curtain of vines, my gaze slid back to the floor.

We were left alone and I finally let myself fall down. I heard Dax click his tongue lightly with sadness and crouched down and held my shoulders as the tears flowed ever silent down my cheeks, the salt infused within them burning at the cut on my face. My palms were pushed into the mossy floor as I bowed my head. There was a crack inside my glass heart, and I feared it would shatter and glimmer to the ground in a billion shimmering pieces.

No home to go back to, no mother to hold me, no baby sibling to spend time with, Dax was my only stronghold now. Everything in my life was changed and I could never get it back to the way it was before. I hated crying. I hated the pain in my chest. I seen a shadow fall over the vine curtain before it slowly parted to reveal a group of female chimpanzees and a few bonobos.

They wore strange colorful masks over their mouths, and bone necklaces around their necks. Dax moved aside for them, which surprised me, he didn't trust easily. One wore a blue-ish white mask, and she gave a few light hoots. Our eyes met, and I knew she was in charge here.

"_Injured. Here to help_." She signed.

I hesitated before nodding. She moved foreword and beckoned a few choice females to move foreword, and I noticed they were carrying stone and wooden bowls with them. She gestured for me to spread my legs out in front of me, and I removed my jacket so she could examine me. The other females surrounded me, prodding, searching for unseen injuries. I tried not to flinch as they roved their eyes over me, I knew they were just trying to help.

_"I am Aria_" The female in charge signed before grabbing a ball of rolled up plant that reminded me of moss, and dipped into a bowl that a bonobo held out for her. When she drew it up from the bowl, I seen water drip off it, the ball having doubled in size.

"_I am Rain_." I answered.

Aria nodded and hooked my chin lightly in one finger and turned my head to the side, an dabbed the cut on my cheek with the soft soaked plant. It stung and I sucked in a gasp at the pain. But it soon ebbed away into a dull throb, and even then, it faded away quickly.

I watched while a few others mashed up herbs, the contents of the other bowls, and I recognized the smell of a few. When I asked if I was correct as to what they were, Aria hooted in pleasant surprise and nodded to my assumptions. I seen a bonobo with an orange mask start signing.

"_You know of healing herbs?"_ She seemed young, with her glossy coat and youthful evergreen eyes.

"_Not as much as I would like to, but yes_." I answered, and my eyes burnt a little when I started thinking about the reason why. My mother had been a doctor, and a damn good one too. She was important, Dreyfus often listened to her ideas and opinions.

"_Why cry?"_ The young bonobo asked, before getting lightly cuffed over the ear. I let out a soft, short sob and looked down. Through the corner of my eye I seen Dax sign, "_Forgive her. We have just lost our mother. Our mother was a doctor."_ And I clenched my eyes closed.

_"Sorry, I'm sorry_." I signed over and over, trying desperately to control my tears. I felt a hand touch mine, putting a stop to my silent apologies. I didn't even know what I was sorry for. I opened my eyes to see Aria looking at me sympathetically.

"_Don't apologize for your grief."_ She signed. "_It just shows how much you loved her. Both of you._" I turned to look at Dax when she said that, and seen him quickly turn his head down shamefully.

I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder, and he looked up with bloodshot eyes. He let out a breath and took my hand into his own, squeezing it. Aria took a finger scoop of herb poultice and spread it over my cut. I winced, hissing lightly at the sting, but didn't pull away. I glanced down and seen the others start spreading similar herbs pastes onto my bruised legs, the cool touch soothing the heated skin.  
>It helped to calm me down, as their expert fingers rubbed the healing juices into my skin.<p>

"Thank you very much." I said out loud as Aria and the rest of the apes dipped their fingers into the water bowl, washing the plants off their hands. Aria nodded and gave a light grunt. They filed out the room, some nodding to me, others ignoring me completely. I was a bit surprised when the young bonobo with the orange mask stopped next to me.

"_Sorry for making you cry_." She signed, seeming genuinely guilty.

I shook my head. "_You did nothing wrong. I just..."_ I dropped my hands for a moment before picking up one. "_Miss her_." I finished my sentence.

She nodded. _"My mother dead too. Deja miss her mother too."_

"Your name is Deja?" I asked. The bonobo nodded. "That's a pretty name." I smiled at her. I liked this female. A loud hoot sounded outside the vine curtain.

_"Thank you. Must go, mentor is calling me."_ She nodded her head in good bye and hurried out. I smiled after her for a few moments, then my smile dropped, and the sadness returned. I looked to Dax, and he gave a sigh and a smile.

"_What do I do, brother?"_ I signed, glad for the warmth the fire provided.

"_Rest."_ He signed.

"_I don't think I could sleep."_ I answered honestly.

"_Try_." He asked, and before I could enter I heard another hoot outside the curtain separating us from the ape clan outside.

"Is someone out there?" I called. The plants parted to reveal Blue Eyes again. Dax flicked his head toward the back of the cave, giving him permission to enter. He was carrying two wood dishes, and the smell of cooked meat wafted in. He set it down in front of us, cautiously.

Again our gazes met, but not for long, his eyes were soon drawn to my cheek. He started to move his arm out, but then stopped as though be wanted to touch it but thought better of it. _"Hurt much?"_ He signed.

"Not anymore, thanks to those females who came in earlier." I answered with a small smile. He grunted approvingly and turned to Dax, pushing a food dish toward him.

"_Eat. Help you feel better_." He signed.

_"Thank you for the food, and for your hospitality. And I apologize for my behavior earlier, and for our delayed return_." Dax signed to the ape solemnly.

Blue eyes seemed surprised by how much meaning was in Dax's eyes, but he nodded. "_You are welcome. But humans confuse me."_

I giggled at that, and Dax let out a few puffs of air in the form of a chuckle out his nose, and the reaction caused Blue Eyes' shoulders to shake with laughter. Ape laughter was foreign, but not all that different, and I liked the way Blue Eyes laughs. His fangs poked out slightly from under his up pulled lips, and his eyes squinted in a way that made them seem lighter, and even prettier, if that was possible. My smile faltered for a moment at my thoughts, surprising myself, but soon it was plastered back on.

_"Me too."_ I signed through my giggles. Our laughter soon died down and a slightly awkward silence filled the space. So I filled it by starting to eat the wild lettuce leaves I found on the plate. I reveled in the wonderful snap that sounded when I bit down, I haven't had lettuce in a while. Blue Eyes soon left and we were left in silence, but not before the young ape gave his condolences for our loss, from Caesar too. 

"_Making friends today our we?"_ Dax signed to me.

I let out a short puff of laughter through my nose, a small smile ghosting my face. "_I hope so. I like them a lot_." I signed back, but my smile soon dropped.

_"What do I do, Dax?"_ I asked my big brother.

He sighed and looked down. "_We'll figure something out. I won't leave you alone. Maybe we can ask Caesar to take us to the edge of their territory, and we can look for somewhere to settle out there_." The fire light flickered across his face.

I looked down. "_I wish mother were here."_ I signed, knowing full well how babyish I sounded.

Dax stood and moved toward me, scooping me up and placing me on the moss bed I slept on last night. I let out a gasp as he picked me up, but made no move to protest. Dax laid down and cuddled me, wrapping his arm over my shoulder and laying the other under my head. I was glad for the closeness, it reminded me of the times when I would have nightmares, and Dax would come into my room and sleep with me that night when mom was still at work. God I miss her.


	6. Chapter 6

My little bird- 6

Its been two days. We have been given a few days to ourselves to grieve from working on the dam. I was sitting on the log in the eating area with Caesar and his family again for breakfast. I haven't spoken a word out loud, and have been answering questions politely with short, curt sentences. I was picking over my breakfast plate, trying to force myself to eat so as not to offend the apes around me, even though my appetite was as good as nonexistent.

"_You are not hungry?"_ Cornelia signed, but she didn't seem to be talking to me. I turned to see Dax sitting next to me just staring at his food blankly. He didn't see Cornelia sign to him, and just continued to stare at his greens. I knew that look well. I sighed and turned to the queen.

"_His head is somewhere else right now. I'm sorry. He doesn't mean any offense_." I apologized for him.

"_No offense taken. I am worried you two will not get enough to eat. You don't seem hungry either."_ She signed, glancing pointedly at my own stone dish. I sighed and looked apologetically at her, beginning to raise my hand to my chest to apologize. Cornelia reached out and grabbed my lightly clenched fist before I could sign the word and shook her head with a small smile.

"_You are grieving. No need to apologize."_ I surprised myself with how ecstatic her understanding made me, but I was still unable to give her more than a half smile. But I unfurled my hand and lifted it to my chin.

_"_

_Thank you, Cornelia."_

She smiled kindly at me, but my attention was diverted by a certain baby chimp. I met Haze's bright little eyes as he tugged on my hair, which hung almost to my waist. He gave a pant and a cute little smile before clambering up me, nearly knocking the plate out of my hand as he made his way onto my shoulder, sticking his face into the hair hanging next to my neck. I let out a small laugh before the child moved himself to my other shoulder and doing the same as he did on the other side.

Haze's attention then went to Dax, as though he had heard a noise come from my sulking older brother, even though the older boy had remained still and silent as stone. Haze then made the decision to leap from my shoulder to Dax, nearly falling off as Dax gave a little jump of surprise. Dax quickly cupped his hand under Haze and helped the little ape get a steady hold on his shoulder.

The child made himself useful by exploring Dax like he was a mountain that was in desperate need of ascension and adventure. Haze climbed all over Dax, from exploring his beanie, to his pant leg, to his T-shirt sleeve. All the while Dax sat still and let the chimp use him as a jungle gym. Dax luckily got smart half way through and removed the wooden food dish from his lap as Haze played. Soon the chimp lost his grip on Dax's T shirt he had been clutching as he examined Dax's ears and went rolling down. When Haze rolled down to his lap, Dax lifted both legs upward so the baby wouldn't land on the stone beneath our feet. Haze seemed to love that.

We watched with a smile as my large brother played with this tiny, delicate little child, and had a blast. They played with each other for a little while longer before Haze decided he missed Blue Eyes and toddled over to his older brother, who promptly scooped him up with one arm. We all kept our eyes on the small ape as he panted excitedly to his brother.

_"Haze like new apes_." The small child signed.

I felt immensely happy and flattered, and Dax and I shared a glance, and though he tried to hide it, I could see in his eyes that it made Dax happy too. The ape family bared their fangs in a smile at the small child's words. After a moment shared by all of us in silence in the glow of the happiness Haze sparked in us, Cornelia turned to me again as Blue Eyes began to try to feed Haze berries.

_"Will you tell me about her?"_ She signed.

"_Who?"_ I asked.

_"Your mother. It might help to talk about it_." She explained. Dax and I shared another glance, and I took a cleansing breathe.

"_She was a doctor_." I began.

"And she was short, like Rain." Dax added out loud.

"_Everyone is short to you."_ I said and signed.

"Yeah, but you two were like mushroom short." He said with a grin. I laughed and swatted his shoulder.

"_You're mean_." I signed to Dax before turning back to the gentle queen. "_She had dark brown hair like mine, and she had a light strip right here_." I grazed my hand over the area where my mother had bleached in a stripe of blonde hair, framing her face on one side.

"Oh, and she was very empathetic. For example, when we were being assigned living spaces years ago, we were offered one of the best ones, because our mother was an important consultant to our leader, but she turned it down when she seen another mother on the street, trying to feed her three children, and she gave it to that mother and her family." Dax said, his deaf accent coming in a bit at the end.

"_I remember that."_ I said and signed fondly.

"She said something to us after that.. What was it? I can't remember." Dax said, looking questioningly at me. I sat silently thinking back to that day. I was small then, but her words were laying in my memory, waiting to be strung together. I chewed my lip as I thought it over.

"_If you have the power to help someone, use it_." I recited the sentence she had said as she pulled us toward the family to tell them they had a new home to go to.

"Huh. That really passed us over when we were younger eh." Dax sighed, looking down at his hands. "You sure lived up to that philosophy." I glanced up from where I had been examining my jeans.

"Huh?" Dax seen my confused look.

"You live up to that sentence." He explained. I tilted my head, not completely grasping his meaning.

Dax sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Come on, don't be stupid, Rain. You almost went anorexic from giving all your food rations to an old woman for so long. I don't ever want to see you that thin again." He growled.

"_First of all, don't growl at me. Second of all, I can't eat my fill when I know there's someone starving just down the street."_ I gave him a slight glare.

"It's not that I don't like how caring you are. Honestly, I'm really proud of that trait in you, but not when you forget to help yourself." He came back.

"_Can we not talk about this now?_" I asked, hoping for a subject change.

His sigh ended in a chuckle. "We argue a lot, huh?"

I gave a small smile. "We're siblings. Of course we do."

Dax pulled me under his arm. "_I'm sorry, I should be helping you, not picking fights."_

"Not your fault." I replied. "You're our mother's son. Stubborn." That earned us a shared laugh.

"I'm not the only stubborn child of hers." He said out loud with a knowing smirk at me.

_"I'm not as stubborn as you, hardhead."_ I grinned.

He puffed out a laugh and kissed the side of my head. "Well, as stubborn as I may be, you still seem to stick around."

"_Someone has to keep you in check. That's what little sisters are for_." I pushed his jaw to the side with my knuckles as I smiled at him.

"Whatever you say, Kitten." He said before pushing his forehead against the side of my head. And I pushed his head back with mine like a cat.

_"What are you going to do when you finish the dam?"_ Blue Eyes suddenly signed after Dax and I finished our sibling moment. I glanced at my brother, waiting for his answer, but all I got was silence and his thinking face.

"We were thinking of traveling from the end of your territory to wherever we can find to settle. I'm not welcome back at the colony, and we don't have anywhere else to go." I informed the family of my discussion with Dax last night.

"_Not welcome? What are you three talking about?"_ Cornelia signed, looking at Caesar. I sucked in a short, slow, silent breath as I looked toward Caesar. I had thought he would have told Cornelia about what had happened the other day, but now I feared I would be punished for saying the wrong thing. Caesar met his wife's gaze and sighed.

"_The other human banished the girl before he left."_ He signed slowly. Cornelia snapped her head toward me, eyes wide with what seemed to be dismay and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"_Why do humans treat each other like this?"_ Cornelia asked, seeming genuinely curious.

"They don't. People normally aren't treated like me. But I'm seen as a street rat and a freak, that is, whenever anyone notices me. I've never been popular, but Dax used to be really popular. He had a lot of friends, but.. Something happened and most of them left him. Then something else happened and the ones that stayed left then. I'm not normally physically hurt by them, but I do have a bad habit of running into the meaner people." I explained our situation to the queen, whom I was very fond of.

"_What happened?"_ Blue Eyes signed.

I went to avoid the question, but Dax spoke before I could. "First I let people know that I'm gay. And then I went deaf. After that people thought that I'm stupid because I can't hear." I realized then that I must've been signing when I was explaining. With that he excused himself and hurried back to the hollow we had been staying at. I sighed sadly and looked after him.

"Sorry. His hearing is a touchy subject. No one ever gave him a chance. He... He doesn't usually act like this. Please don't be angry with him." I said, glancing at the swinging vine curtain. Thinking to how bipolar-ish he had been acting.

_"Poor children. You've had a hard life, haven't you?"_ Cornelia signed.

I looked away. "Life is full of hardship. Sometimes there's just no escaping it."

The apes were starting to disperse from breakfast, seeing as it had started raining. "I should go talk to my brother. Thank you for the food." I said as I excused myself and followed Dax's trail.

When I got inside, I sighed. Dax was sitting at the back of the hollow, facing the wall. I knew he didn't want to be bothered, but I walked over and sat down facing away from him, and leaned my back against his. He stiffened, but relaxed and faced the wall with a huff and stayed silent. We said nothing to each other, but I knew we were thinking about the same thing. Her.

The gap my mother left in my heart was unable to be filled. She was the glue that stuck our little, broken and tattered family together, and now she was gone. Dax has been acting weirdly for the past few days, and it's worrying me. One minute he'll be acting like his normal, goofy self and the next he'll just be...off. Mom would know how to help make him feel better. She knew how make anyone smile. But that's when I realized, there was one person who would never know that, even though they were closer to her then any of us. Her baby.

I spent the next few hours trying to be stone still and quiet like my brother to keep the new tears at bay. But Dax suddenly got up and walked to the vine entrance, almost walking into the fireplace in the process. He didn't look back, didn't tell me where he was going, just kept walking. I gave a little huff and a pout, moving to sit on a moss bed. What did we do to deserve this life? My thoughts were interrupted by the vine curtain opening up slightly. I saw Cornelia looking in questioningly, and I invited her in. She have a smile and sat down a few feet in front of me.

_"Where is your brother?"_ She asked.

I shrugged. "He just walked out. He wants to be alone."

She nodded in understanding. "_How are you feeling?"_ I shrugged, not knowing the answer.

"_You have been crying."_ She noted. My eyes widened a bit and I touched my face, feeling the moisture I hadn't realized had escaped.

"My mother was pregnant." I said numbly.

Cornelia sucked in a gasp, and seemed to understand much more now. She moved next to me and pulled me into a hug. I was rather surprised by the action. This ape barely knew me, I was an outsider and here she was hugging me like I was a long lost family member. But I was grateful none the less, and hugged her back, being very careful of the sleeping Haze in her arm.

"So. Sorry." She whispered, her voice was light and sweet, though there was a hoarse edge to her words, and I knew she didn't use her voice much. I swallowed the emotion in my throat.

"I miss her. I wanted to meet my baby sibling. I couldn't wait to be a big sister." I tried not to sob. I felt a connection between Cornelia and I. I felt I could tell her what was weighing on my heart, and I didn't know how I knew, but I knew that the information would be safe with the beautiful queen.

"_You would have been a good big sister_." She signed to me, then brushed a finger over my cheek, wiping away the tears. I thanked her for her kind words.

"_But what do I do after the dam is finished? Dax has been too out of it to think about this enough, and I'm frightened."_ I confessed. "_I feel terrible that Dax is stuck with me now. He can go back to the colony, I can't."_

_"You're brother loves you. I don't think he would ever leave you alone. I've seen it in the way he looks at you_." Cornelia consoled, rubbing the back of my shoulder.

I nodded with a small smile. "I know he loves me. That's why he yells at me for climbing so much." I muttered to myself.

"_You like to climb?"_ Cornelia asked. I nodded immediately.

_"I love it. At first I would only do it to avoid the people on the ground in the city, but now, it's a big hobby_." I pulled a small face and shook my head before correcting myself. _"A passion_."

She laughed at this, and even her laugh was pretty. But it wasn't a mocking kind of laugh, it was the happy kind. Cornelia then patted the top of my head fondly, and I felt a bit like a pet for a moment, but the feeling then washed away.

"_You are a strange human. Not like most I've seen_." She signed with a smile.

"What are the ones you've seen like?" I asked, curious.

She gave a small sigh, clearing her head. "_Most were odd too, but different then you. Some were mean spirited and loud. But I did live some of my early years with kind humans. They had a big apple tree orchard, and I was happy. But as I got older, I was too much to handle, and they sent me away."_

"_You're not bitter toward them?"_ I couldn't help but ask.

"_No. I understand now why they sent me away. Are you bitter?"_ She asked.

I looked down and shook my head. "_Confused and ashamed_." Then the memory of Drakes beating came back at the ache of one of my many bruises, and I couldn't help but ask.

_"Is there something wrong with my eyes?"_ I signed slowly, not looking up until a couple of long seconds dragged by to meet Cornelia's green irises.

She stared into my eyes for a long time, the fire light inside flickering over her pretty face. "_I see nothing wrong with them. Why do you ask?"_

I sighed. "_One of the names that I'm called in the colony is Freak Eyes_."

She hummed in thought. "_I will be back."_ She said, and left me alone in the cave. Soon she returned without Haze in tow, and I realized she had probably dropped him off with someone else to watch over.

_"Come."_ She signed.

I did as I was told and followed the ape outside into the drizzling weather for which I was named after. She led me out of the village, past a frowning gorilla, but he didn't do anything to stop us. She led me down the mountain side, and to a little cove in the forest. A little waterfall fed the pool with the cool liquid, flowing down a rocky stream bed toward the river. Moss grew thick and lush on rocks and tree trunks, and wild flowers bloomed in colorful bursts of fragrance everywhere. It was breathtaking.

"_You like?_" Cornelia signed when she seen my awestruck gaze.

I nodded. "Very much."

"_Look here_." She led me to a shallow side pool, where the water ran still and clear. She nudged me to lean over slightly and look at the reflection in the crystalline water.

It was like looking into a mirror. I could see my reflection staring back at me, and my eyes widened at the sight of my irises. They looked a light mix of jade and turquoise. I had never seen such color before. I know it seems strange that I don't know what color my own eyes are, but they're hazel. But not the normal kind of hazel, a weird kind of hazel. My irises take on strange colors and much of the time I wonder how it's possible. No wonder they called me a freak.

"_What do you see?"_ Cornelia signed.

I drew in a breathe to clear my thoughts. "An outcast." I answered, and looked away from the girl in the water.

"_That is not what I see_." Cornelia hooked her finger under my chin and pulled me to look at her. "_I see a gentle creature. A girl with a kind heart."_

I stared at her in surprise and bewilderment. "How do you know?" I didn't mean to be rude (I think she knew that) but I was confused and this ape had only known me for three days, how did she know what kind of heart I have?_ I_ don't even know what kind of heart I have.

She only smiled at me. _"I know these kind of things. Trust me."_ We shared a moment of eye contact and I seen no deception in her pale green eyes.

"Thank you." I said, feeling some of the weight lifting from me. She gave me a kind smile.

"_Let's get back. The rain is getting heavier_." She said, turning to lead me back. I glanced one last time at the beautiful waterfall and wished badly I had brought my camera, though in the long run it would have been a bad idea because of the rain. When we got back to the gate, I seen the same gorilla eyeing me suspiciously as we walked up, as if I could suddenly jump and attack. I kept my head and eyes downcast, trying to portray submission.

"_Hello."_ Cornelia waved.

The gorilla nodded and glanced back at me. "_This is Rain."_ She introduced, and for a moment I felt my stomach drop. This ape could easily break every bone in my body with one hand, but I politely returned the apes nod in greeting.

_"Nice to meet you_." I signed, praying I wouldn't do something wrong.

_"You as well. My name is Luca."_ He returned, and I felt it would be okay to come closer a step. I felt better when Luca didn't do anything.

_"I must get back to my child and Rain here should get back to her brother_." Cornelia excused us. Luca and I nodded to each other in goodbye as I followed the queen.

She led me to the cave and said goodbye. I slid inside the hollow and seen some of the lamps had gone out. I lit them and was about to ask Dax how he was feeling now, when I realized I was alone. My eyes scanned the space, wondering if I was seeing things, or..._not_ seeing things...whatever.

But Dax was gone. I immediately felt a rock in my stomach. I was already half soaked from just ten minutes outside, and Dax had been gone for almost an hour. He must be drenched to the bone. What if he left to cry in peace, and on his way back the tears blurred things and he fell or got hurt? Scenarios were running through my head, and my anxiety was growing with every passing second.

Maybe I'm overreacting, and overthinking. That's a possibility right? Of course it is. Maybe he's in the village, talking with a newfound friend or maybe he's with Caesar. I had to know, so I made my way toward the entrance to the hollow and stepped out quickly, but I was stopped by a wall of furry warmth. It knocked me back slightly with my momentum, and when I looked up, I met Blue Eyes' glacial gaze. His fur was slick and darkened by the rain, that was starting to come down in larger showers.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry. Have you seen my brother?" I apologized.

He shook his head. "_He's not with you?"_ He signed.

"No. He wanted time alone so I gave him space. He's been gone for almost an hour and I'm really worried." I explained.

_"You don't know where he went?"_ Blue eyes asked.

I shook my head, getting even more frightened with every second I was unaware if my brothers whereabouts. "I think he went for a walk in the forest. But he could've gotten lost or hurt or something and he's probably freezing cold and knowing him he'll be mad at himself for getting himself into that situation and-" I was cut off when Blue Eyes grabbed my wrists, which were currently burying there fingers into my hair. I chewed my lip as I stared into those blue irises with fear for my loved one. I started to wonder if there was lightning on the way for I could feel it tingling through Blue Eyes' fingertips to my wrists through my bones to my shoulders and down my spine.

"_Calm down_." He let me go to sign, and the electric like hum I felt vanished, as if washed away by the sky's tears. "_Where were you going just now?"_

"I was hoping maybe he was with Caesar." I said miserably.

"_Let's check_." He nodded for me to follow him and we quickly worked our way up the spiral staircase. I stood by the doorway, knowing this was Caesar and his family's private home. The rain dripped quickly off the leaves of the great tree and onto me, and I focused on locking my jaw to control the chattering of my teeth.

Blue eyes continued in without a second glance at me and disappeared behind a corner. I turned and leaned against the trunk, looking out at the village below. Most apes had taken shelter, but some continued about their day, not bothered by the falling water. I kept glancing toward the entrance, waiting to see my brothers muscular, shaggy haired form walk through, but there was no sign of him.

I felt a touch on my shoulder and gasped, snapping my head to the side to see Caesar. "_Your sure you don't know where he is?"_ The king signed.

I shook my head and glanced again toward the entrance. "_I think he's in the forest. He wanted to be alone."_

"We will. Check, the Gate." He said and lead me toward the entrance, blue eyes falling in step beside me.

When we got there, Luca was standing sentry. Caesar approached him and started signing to him. "_Have you seen the male human?"_

Luca gave a look. "_No. Why?"_

"_He's missing."_

Luca gave a grunt of surprise. "_How long?"_ Caesar turned to me, about to repeat the question, but I answered before he could.

"An hour now."

_"I will ask Wes. He had shift then_." And Luca quickly went into one of the holes in the Gate's hall. I was surprised to see some gorillas peeking out curiously from others, and realized many of the holes were dens, and each had a gorilla.

Luca returned with a smaller male. "_Human went that way. Sensed he was grieving_." The smaller male, Wes, then ducked his head and held up his hand to Caesar, palm upturned. Caesar swiped his hand over Wes's and the gorilla picked his head up again, though he seemed sad.

_"Showed compassion. No need for forgiveness_." Caesar signed to the young gorilla. He then turned back to Luca and told him to get a search party, naming specific apes. "Do not let this get out." He warned before turning to blue eyes.

_"We go search_." Blue Eyes stepped next to his father.

"Please, let me come with you." I spoke out accidentally. "I promise I won't slow you down." I added.

Blue Eyes stared at Caesar, waiting for an answer and shaking his head slightly at his father. I stared desperately into the ape kings eyes, trying not to fidget. _"Please_."

He hesitated, than waved me over. I sighed with relief and followed as they ran for the trees. They climbed up the trunks, and I ran up a boulder and jumped into a low tree branch. I quickly hopped from branch to branch, keeping a hand on the trunks at all times, worried about the slick wood under my feet. I glanced at Caesar and Blue Eyes, who were both looking at me with surprise and shock as I managed to keep pace with them. Finally Caesar motioned for me to stop and joined me on a large branch, Blue eyes moving to the one in front of us.

_"Where did you learn to do this?"_ He asked.

I swallowed my annoyance, not wanting to stop to explain but to keep up my search. "This is mostly how I get around back at the colony. I'm not that good with other humans so to avoid them I jump across roofs and fire escapes. Stuff like that." It was hard to keep my impatience out of my voice.

They both gave me a look, but we soon continued on, searching the green forest floor. I had to resist the urge to call out his name, knowing it would do no good, since he wouldn't hear it if we were in hearing range. Our search didn't last long, but I almost missed Dax's form on the ground. When I seen him I almost fell from my branch in surprise. He was sitting on his shins, leaning heavily on a tree. I dropped down into the soft moss, my shoes squelching a bit as I jogged.

"Dax!" I gasped as I crouched beside him. I grabbed his shoulder but he remained still, unconscious. I repeated his name and shook his shoulder, causing him to groan out of his slumber. He squinted his eyes open, his brown eyes looking black against his paled skin tone. His beanie was missing too. Dax's hair stuck to his face and he shivering, completely waterlogged but he was hot to the touch. His lips were pale pink, and I didn't doubt they would turn blue soon enough if he wasn't warmed.

"_Dax, are you okay?"_ I said and signed.

He didn't respond and I got him to his feet with the help of Caesar and Blue Eyes. I took off my jacket and wrapped it around Dax, even though it wasn't anything close to dry. We started the slow process of getting him back to the village. The rain was coming down in something just less than sheets, and the wind forced it right into our faces. Dax stumbled as he walked, and I pressed myself to him to try and keep him steady. When we made it back to the clan, Wes was standing guard. He hurried foreword and heaved Dax over his broad shoulder.

"Go, get. The Obas." Caesar said to Blue Eyes. The young prince nodded and rushed inside the Gates. I whimpered when I seen Dax had fallen unconscious again and hung limply over Wes's shoulder as he was carried inside the village perimeter.

I seen Aria leap down to the boulder in the middle of the yard and point, hooting and pointing to a large hut at the right. Wes hurried inside and I followed seeing many more females and a few males with the same masks and necklaces that the females who treated my wounds days ago wore. I was surrounded by a group of females and herded to the right while Dax was taken deeper into the hut. I struggled to follow him but soon I realized it was futile to fight it, and let myself be taken to a different room.

They laid me down on a comfortable mossy bed and started peeling off my t-shirt and pants and boots. I got uncomfortable when they tried to get me out of my bra and panties, but I struggled, saying that they weren't too wet, and would dry soon, and the females let me keep my undergarments on. They started patting me dry with fuzzy feeling furs. Among the females helping me, I spotted Deja. She wrapped a large fur around my shoulders and I tugged it closer, nodding in thanks as my teeth finally stopped chattering. Deja moved behind me and started running her fingers through my hair. Two more bonobos joined her, grooming the tangles out of my hair and smoothing much of the water out.

I soon got groggy and tired, the fire place a few feet away warming my shaking bones, and the fingers running through my smoothed out hair didn't help the fatigue either. I couldn't stop worrying about Dax. Was he hurt at all? Why was he so groggy and unresponsive? Did he hit his head? Seeing my big strong brother so weak and vulnerable terrified me, and it was thoughts of him that warded off slumber. Deja seemed to notice, and moved in front of me to sign.

"_Sleep. Need rest."_

_"Scared for my brother."_ I signed back.

"_He's with Aria. Aria head Oba. She'll take care of him."_ Deja soothed, giving me a reassuring smile. I sighed, and nodded. One of the females, er, Obas, as I heard they're called, brought two more large furs. She draped in over me and gently pushed my to my back.

"Rest." She signed. I finally gave in and closed my eyes, too tired to be surprised by how quickly slumber took me.


	7. Chapter 7

My Little Bird- 7

I've been in and out of sleep all night. Nightmares plagued me in my slumber, and bipolar insomnia stalked my waking moments all through out the night. I kept trying to get up to check on my brothers health, and the Obas kept having to put me back to bed. Soon Aria had to post guards outside my doorway to keep me inside, each time they insisted that I needed to sleep. They were right, I was half asleep and the half that was awake was groggy with exhaustion.

I woke up again a few minutes before dawn, the sky glowing a mixture of milky white and creamy orange. The sky looked like an orange creamsicle. I sat up again, and one of my Oba guards, Millie, turned and sighed at me, sounding annoyed at this point. I hoped it was just from lack of sleep.

"I want to see my brother." I insisted, knowing the drill. I would ask to see Dax, they would usher me back in, and I would complain internally.

_"You are the most relentless human I have ever met_." Milly signed, but they led me to the room where Dax was kept. His room was large, and like I had been, he was wrapped in thick furs with a large fire place blazing. At first glance I thought he still hadn't dried, but I then realized it was sweat that slicked his hair and made his skin glisten. Obas were outside the door, keeping watch over him. I rushed in past them and silently dropped to my knees by his head.

My hands hovered over him, wanting to touch him but not wanting to disturb him. Heat radiated off him and I knew he had a fever. Dax was sick. Very sick. I recognized the ailment immediately, remembering the time when Dax had had this once before, and barely survived.

"Not again." I whispered, covering my mouth with my hands, gazing down at him with wide eyed despair. I heard the Obas outside the door shuffling, and I looked up to see Aria walking in on her knuckles.

_"You should be resting."_ She tutted halfheartedly, moving to examine my brother. Dax coughed in his sleep as shivers racked through his body, his skin pale as snow. I ran my fingers through his hair worriedly, chewing my lip as I moved the sweat soaked hair from his face.

"I can't sleep. He's sick." I don't know why I added that. Aria was head Oba (as Deja had said) she didn't receive that status being an idiot.

"Only seen this once before." She signed, and glanced at me, and in her eyes I seen what she hadn't said. _But he didn't survive_.

"Pneumonia. He had it once before when we were children. He nearly died." I whispered, voice going hoarse.

"_You know of this illness?"_ She looked at me, and I seen something in her eyes, like an idea starting to form. I think I was starting to catch on. She thought if I knew what it was and had seen it before, then I might be able to treat it. I nodded, raking back in my memory for the remedies my mother had used to save my brothers life.

"Will you let me help treat him? I remember what my mother did, and he got better." The question forced it's way out. "Please."

She looked at me for a long time, minutes dragged out in silent eye contact, all the while I could feel her eyes assessing me. "You are not yet fully well..." She trailed off, and the thoughtful look on her face lifted my heart on wings of hope.

"_We will see what you know_." Aria finally signed, giving an 'eh, why not?' kind of nod, her blue and white mask made small tinkling sounds as she moved her head. _"What do you have in mind?"_

My face exploded in a smile and I thanked her over and over again, speaking and signing the words quickly before I pulled myself together. "My mother used a lot of teas from different plants. I think we should start with goldenseal tea...and tonight I should make a mullein infusion so it can steep overnight and give it to him tomorrow." I started thinking out loud to the herbal remedies I knew.

I was half Cherokee, and my mothers side of the family made it a point to keep certain traditions and beliefs alive, I even speak the language. I'm not fluent, but I can hold my own in a conversation. Dax, mom and I used to speak it around the house, but when Dax went deaf... We didn't even ask him to learn to lip read, that was his choice, and it was hard. Much of the English language looks the same to a lip reader. For example, 'I love you' looks the same as 'olive juice'. There was no way we could ask him to figure out a whole other language that's not even spoken outside the family.

Aria sent one of the Oba's close by to the threshold to get the things I asked for: a pot, goldenseal leaves, a spit for the fireplace, and something to stir with. Aria told me we would have to get the mullein leaves ourselves, as they didn't know much about its medicinal uses. I brewed the tea quickly, counting the minutes by seconds faithfully. Aria handed me a clay cup, and I poured the tea in. Now I had to get Dax up. I turned to my ill brother to rouse him, but I seen that I didn't have to, his eyes were slitted open, watching me.

"You have no clothes on." He whispered coarsely. I looked down and realized for the first time, that he was right. I was sitting there in my black bra and panties. Oops.

_"My clothes aren't dry yet."_ I assumed. "_Here, drink this_." I moved so he could use my lap as a pillow, and I held his head up for him as he drank the tea from the cup.

"_Slowly..."_ I cautioned as he started gulping it down, he must be thirsty.

"What is this?" He asked as he finished the cup minutes later. I moved in front of him to sign the name of the plant.

He was about to say something, but a coughing fit took him. I moved to sit him up and patted his back as it got more severe, and soon started to sound like choking. He soon calmed down and slipped back into unconsciousness, shivering. I pulled the furs up closer to his chin and stood up. Aria was in the threshold of the room watching me with what looked like a woven basket in her arms.

"_We go get mullein now."_ She signed.

I nodded. "May I have some clothes though?" I asked, wrapping my arms around myself awkwardly. I felt exposed now that Dax had brought my nakedness to attention.

"_Not dry yet_." She signed, shrugging apologetically.

"I have some in my backpack, but it's in the hollow I've been sleeping in." I thought out loud.

"_Come. We stop there_." She signed. Somehow I doubted I would be able to avoid being seen. I felt a hand on my arm and turned to see Deja standing beside me, holding a longish fur to me.

"_Cold?"_ She asked. I realized I must have given that impression with the way I was holding my arms. I gratefully took it and wrapped it around my shoulders, holding it closed around my chest. I thanked her with a smile, and her eyes crinkled as she smiled back under her mask.

Feeling better about leaving the Obas hut, I followed Aria outside. The world was glimmering in the sunlight with water from last nights storm. The apes were having breakfast, and I risked a glance up at the place where Caesar's family ate. My eyes were immediately caught by the oldest prince, his eyes held a question, and I looked away, staying close to Aria, not always trusting myself around Blue eyes. His namesakes seemed to do something to my head, freezes it, but makes the rest of me warm.

We made it to my hollow and Aria waited outside the vine curtain. I was surprised the rain hadn't penetrated the vines, but the ground was dry and soft. I moved over to my backpack and pulled on some pants and a long sleeve V-neck. I would have to go barefoot, as my boots were likely still water logged. I strained the water from the tips of my hair, where it had pooled. My hair was mostly a mixture of damp and dry aside from the wet tips. I never knew grooming could do that. Like natures towel drying.

When we stepped into the Gate, I was stopped by Luca who was passing by. "_You don't look so good. Feeling okay?"_

"_Long night_." Was all I said.

He bid goodbye to us and we continued into the forest. I suggested we look by the old roads, hoping one of the plants that dominated the routes would be the ones I need. We picked up plants and roots and berries as we seen them, bringing back more for the Obas herb supply. Soon we were walking along a winding road, my eyes scanning each leaf, looking for a match to the picture in my head. When I found a clump, I started digging it up from the roots. Aria helped me and with that we put the delicate things in our softness filled basket and moved to return to the village.

"I can carry that for you if you like." I offered.

She stared at me, considering the thought. _"You wish to help Oba?"_ She signed. It took me a minute to respond, trying to figure out what the last sign had been, until I figured out it meant 'Oba'. I nodded.

"You've all done so much for my brother and I. I want to find a way to repay you." I explained my motives.

She shook her head. "_Strange human._" She signed and handed me the basket. It was lighter than I expected, so I held it on my hip as we walked and ignored Aria's comment. I kept yawning into my hand, still exhausted from the sleepless night. I thought back to Luca the gorilla. He had asked how I was feeling. I found that a bit strange, why would he care? It made me think back to the other kindnesses I had been shown in the past few days. First our lives were saved, then we were given refuge, food, medical help... How would I ever repay them?

By this time we had made it back to the Obas hut I was still in thought. Obas were surrounding Dax, dabbing him with towel like, short haired furs soaked in water. Some looked up, and my eyes were met with Deja's evergreen irises. She nodded in greeting to Aria and I before turning back to trying to bring down Dax's fever. I winced when he turned his head in his sleep and started coughing hard. A male Oba placed his hand on Dax's neck, trying to offer comfort, and didn't take his hand away until Dax's coughing stopped. I could hear the rawness in his throat, and knew he must have been coughing frequently.

I handed the basket to an Oba who had her hand outstretched for it, and she took it away, I assumed to sort out and organize the herbs. I then made another goldenseal tea for Dax, and woke him again to drink. He grumbled with annoyance but drank as I held his head for him. I looked up at the sound of footsteps and seen Caesar and Blue Eyes standing in the threshold of the room. I turned back to my brother when he started to try to get up. I pushed him back down gently and shook my head at him.

"Needta...help mom wither tools." He grumbled, eyes half lidded and his accent making an appearance. I gasped and tried not to get emotional. He was remembering the times he had helped our mom sterilize her medical equipment after she came home from work. He liked doing that.

"_Mother's not here. Dax, where are you?" _I asked, signing and speaking.

He looked around and was silent for a little, before seeming to collapse into himself in realization. "Apes..." Dax fell back into sleep, and I took a rag from the water bowl near by and rung it before dabbing his face and neck.

"How. Sick. Is he?" I turned at Caesars voice, but he was speaking to Aria.

_"Bad. Girl says male has had it before. She calls it pneumonia_." Aria signed. I was going to speak up myself, when Blue eyes crouched next to me, leaning forward to look at Dax. I pouted at the memory of his recent delirium and brushed his sweaty hair from his face.

_"What was he saying?"_ Blue eyes signed to me. "_I missed it."_

I sighed sadly. "_Delirious. He thought he was helping our mother with something."_

Blue eyes stayed silent now, his gaze switching from me to Dax again and again as I helped the Obas care for him, and I tried to fight the blush I could feel coming on from his stares. Dax woke up again about a half hour later, and he seemed more aware this time.

"What's going...on?" He had to pause to cough.

"_Shhh. Don't try to speak. You're sick._" I hushed him, hating how painful it sounded for him to speak.

"Mom? Has Rain eaten today?" I wasn't sure he had read my lips, but he was looking at my face. I realized his mind was in the time when there had been a good chance I would end up anorexic. There had been a famine going on and I had been giving my food to the orphanage that had been built near our apartment.

_"Dax, it's me. Your sister_." I leaned close to him, willing him to recognize me. He stared up at me confusedly, shaking his head a little as he thought. "_I'm Rain."_

"...Rain?" He seemed to realize his screw up. "Ugh. I'm sorry..." He started coughing again, but this time I was pretty sure he was here now. Maybe.

_"Don't be sorry. Just focus on getting better."_ I said and signed. He started coughing again, and Deja gave him something to help him sleep. I sighed as I listened to his labored breathing. Blue Eyes nudged me with his shoulder.

"_You okay?"_ He eyed me curiously.

I took a deep breath before signing, "_I guess."_

The next few days went on like this, and I refused to leave Dax's side for long. I slept by Dax's head, and was woken during the night often by his coughing fits. I've been using every herbal remedy I could remember and was learning new mixes and remedies from the Obas. I enjoyed working with them, but my happiness was always short lived when I opened my eyes and looked down at the man I was treating.

At first he seemed to be getting better, but then my hope was crushed down by a spike in his fever and his breathing was getting slowly worse. Each day I was watching my brother suffocate, and it crushed me. Visitors consisted of Caesars family, and once a friend of Blue Eyes, named Ash. He had followed Blue Eyes and Cornelia into the hut to "get a look at the humans" and was quickly shooed away by Blue Eyes. Cornelia later informed me he was more like a nephew to her, thus Blue Eyes' cousin and best friend.

Cornelia and Blue Eyes came daily, and a lot of the time bearing food when they found out I was getting into the old habit of giving my own food to Dax. I picked over my dishes obediently, not wanting to insult or waste the apes' food. But my mind was always on Dax. He was getting worse each morning, and soon he wouldn't eat, his throat being too sore for even the softest foods we could find to give him. So I made sure that if he couldn't get enough food, he'd get enough water.

His furs had to be changed a lot, seeing as he would sweat through them quickly. The first time we changed them, I was a bit mortified to see he had been stripped too, but his boxers had been left on. He got annoyed with that during the few times his head was in the right time, and I helped him wiggle into a pair of pants. Right now his blankets were bunched around his waist, as I was rubbing crushed garlic bulbs into his chest to try and soothe his breathing. A trick I had learned from Aria.

"_How is he today?"_ Blue Eyes asked as he brought me my lunch, a piece of cooked elk, with some berries and a few Brussels sprouts. I washed my hands in a separate water bowl and tore at the meat, placing the tender morsel on my tongue.

"_Not better_." I signed back miserably, putting the food down after another small bite.

Blue Eyes gave my back a rub. _"Do you want to go somewhere? I don't think it's healthy for you to stay cooped up in here all the time. Mother doesn't either."_ I raised my brow in surprise at his offer. I knew I wasn't a prisoner, but I didn't expect to be able to go anywhere really.

I hesitated, glancing down at Dax. But Aria started signing to him as I was about to refuse. _"Of course she will go with you_." I looked at her, feeling a bit hurt. Was I irritating them in anyway? They hadn't hinted at it if I was. Aria seemed to pick up on my feelings because she started signing again.

"_He is right. You have done excellent job, but you must take care of you too. Obas will watch your brother_." The older ape said gently.

"But what if something changes while I'm gone?" I asked, worriedly chewing my lip and glancing down and my brother.

"_Go. Stretch your legs_." She turned to Blue Eyes without answering my question. "_Make sure she eats that. Doesn't get enough food."_

I sighed and let Blue Eyes drag me away from the hut. He handed me the stone dish and told me to eat. After a bite of the berries, I finally realized how hungry I was, and quickly polished off the food.

"Are we going to the dam?" I asked, as Blue eyes took the dish from me and placed it on a log near one of the cooking fires as we passed it.

"_Do you only focus on working?"_ He asked.

I snorted lightly, remembering all the mischief I used to get into as a child. _"No_."

"_Then come on."_ He started walking faster, forcing me to take bigger strides to keep up with the taller male.

"Where?" I asked, but received no answer.

He led me out into the forest and I found he was taking me to the riverside. I looked out at the churning waters out in the middle of the river, and shivered at the thought of going into that sure to be icy water. I seen Blue Eyes' friend Ash waiting on a rock with something beside him, and I gasped in happy delight to see it was my bow and arrow quiver.

"_Show us how it works!"_ Ash signed eagerly. I glanced between him and Blue Eyes, not making a move toward the bow.

"I thought you didn't want us having any weapons..?" I said, wondering if it were a test.

"_We know but..."_ Blue eyes trailed off.

"_Blue Eyes said you looked sad lately, so the genius that I am thought that it would be cool to see how your weird stick thing works." _Ash signed, chuckling at his own joke. I grinned in amusement.

"It's called a bow. And that's my quiver. It holds the arrows for me like this." I reached out to take it, keeping my eye on the chimps to make sure I wasn't crossing any unseen line. I strapped the quiver around my waist (I know it goes on your back, but it's much easier for me to just grab the arrows from my waist instead) and took out an arrow, letting the males take it and observe it.

_"What's it do?"_ Blue Eyes signed.

"I'll show you." I held out my hand for it back and Blue Eyes gave it to me. I picked up my bow and strung it, aiming at a knot in a tree a few yards away from us. I pointed it out to the boys and I watched as Ash's head went from me to the tree knot quickly. I checked my aim again and let it fly, hoping it would hit to save myself any embarrassment. Luckily it stuck right into the middle of the knot.

Ash started hooting softly, seeming happy while Blue Eyes stared at the arrow in the tree to my bow. I think he may have been working it out in his head how it worked. I didn't doubt they could do that, these were some amazing animals.

"_Again!"_ Ash signed like a kid. I smiled, happy to demonstrate. I turned my gaze to the river, to the calmer shallower bank. I walked onto a large rock that jutted into the water a bit, and looked for a target. When I seen what I was looking for, I strung my bow and aimed into the water. The next second the bowstring was vibrating with the force of the arrow as it left to impale the lazy looking fish hovering near a clump of reeds. I closed my eyes and gave thanks for the life I had taken. I reached down and pulled the silvery fish from the water, showing the males another use of my bow.

Ash ambled up on his knuckles and took the blue flecked fish from my fingers, Blue Eyes joined his side, examining the way the arrow had pierced through the fish's gills.

"_You're a hunter, then?"_ Blue Eyes asked.

"I've hunted before, when I had to." I replied.

_"What's it like living in a human city? Does everyone have one of these? What kind of animals are there? What is there to do all day?"_ Ash started firing off question after question. Thankfully Blue Eyes seen I was getting overwhelmed with the sudden flood of curiousness, and told Ash to stop.

_"But I want to know."_ He made a whining face.

_"I can answer a few."_ I offered and sat down on my rock, placing the bow in my lap.

_"So what's it like in the city?"_ Blue Eyes signed, letting off on his own curiousness as well.

I thought about the question. "It's...loud. And crowded and more than a bit run down. But we survive. Sort of." I said, having no pride at all for the place I used to call home.

"_Doesn't sound that great."_ Ash signed.

"It's not." I agreed. "_Next question?"_

_"Does everyone have one of these things?"_ Ash asked next, gesturing to my bow.

I let a smile ghost my face. "No. No one has used one of these seriously for centuries."

"_Than why do you?"_ Blue Eyes signed to me.

"To embrace my heritage. My people used things like these all the time. We lived off the land and took care of the land." I recited the things my mother had told me about my tribe.

"_Heritage? What is?"_ Ash signed.

"I'm a Cherokee descendant. My mother's side of the family were very serious of keeping the spirit and culture alive." I said proudly. My heritage was important to me. It's what sets me apart uniquely.

_"What is that?"_ Blue Eyes asked.

"What is what?" I asked for clarification.

_"That word. What are you?"_ He started eyeing me like I was a wolf in humans clothing.

"Cherokee?" I asked. He nodded.

"It's a tribe. Like your ape colony. My people were one of the first humans ever to live on this land. They're all dead now I think. But my mother always told me to remember my peoples' past, so I do." I explained.

"_What kind of animals are there in the city?"_ Ash broke in, bored with the topic.

"Not many. Mostly domestics and unappreciated creatures. Dogs, cats, rats, mice." I counted off. "Life is barely sustainable for humans now. It's even harder for animals now." My shoulders dropped sadly. I have always been greatly dismayed that some animal species were infected by the Simian Flu. I hated watching animals suffer.

_"Sorry..."_ Blue Eyes signed to me weakly, like more than half of his mind was in thought and only a quarter communicating.

"_That's sad. Why so bad there?"_ Ash asked.

"Because we're dying." I answered. "Humans are going extinct. The ones in the city could likely be the very last."

"_Why dying?"_ Ash asked. Suddenly I wasn't so sure I should be sharing this. Was it betrayal? If so, why should I care? They never valued me, never liked me, even before the Simian Flu broke out.

"A sickness. It killed everyone, humans, animals. It was awful." I wrapped my arms around myself and looked down, remembering the days I was about to speak of. I had seven at the time. "Riots, fighting for food and supplies. Soon everyone was dead, and those who aren't are genetically immune to the Flu." I said.

"_That's terrible_." Blue Eyes signed.

"Yeah, well, humans probably won't last too much longer. But if I can get the dam working, there's a chance they can survive." I said, turning to look at the mountain where the dam was located. It had been days since I'd worked on it, I'd been too preoccupied caring for Dax, and before that, we had been grieving our mother. I'd really dropped the ball.

"_You're still going to work on it? But I thought they kicked you out?"_ Ash signed. I internally sighed, so I guess all the apes knew about that now.

_"There are good people there. Children, orphans. When Dax gets better I'm going to finish it for them."_ I said.

Blue Eyes and Ash exchanged a glance, and I wondered what was on their minds. "_Where did you learn how to use that?"_ Blue Eyes suddenly said, nodding to my bow. I raised a brow for a moment, then let it drop.

"My mom sent Dax and I to a camp that taught about native culture. Learned how to survive in the wild like my ancestors did. I had the time of my life there." I smiled at the memory. It was a lot of fun, and I made lots of friends there. But of course I'm sure they're all dead now, I attended the camp about a year before the Ape Rebellion.

The rest of the day I spent with Blue Eyes and Ash, joking around and talking about our lives. On one instant, Ash asked me what it was like to be human, unable to come up with an answer I asked him what it was like to be an ape, which he promptly replied, "_Awesome."_

_"What's your favorite color?"_ Blue Eyes signed when the sun was starting to set. We would have to leave soon. I looked at the sky, and told them to wait and see. The three of us watched the sky as the sun dipped into the tree tops, spilling shadows and the last dying rays of sun over us all. Clouds were stained pink and yellow, and started fading into a deep purple. That's when I spoke again.

"That's my favorite color." I said.

We gazed up at the indigo ocean above us until we all simultaneously realized, _shit it's late_. We hurried back to the village, I surprised Ash with how well I could keep up with them in the trees, always just behind them. We split up when we got to the Gates, apparently Ash had snuck my bow and arrows out of their safe place and now he had to return it. Blue Eyes escorted me back to the Obas hut and I immediately knew something was wrong. Obas were watching my brothers room intently and inside many females were crowding around the middle of the room. I hurried in, pushing past the apes to get to my brother, my heart rate pounding.

I heard him before I seen him. He was coughing and breathing at the same time and his eyes stared up at the ceiling with a pained look, one hand clutching at his heaving chest. I dropped to my knees beside of him and as soon as he saw me a reached out and grabbed my hand. I clutched it and looked around, signing for an herb to help him breathe, but no one gave me anything. An Oba signed to me that they had already tried everything. God please no.

My eyes shot down to Dax's when he gave my hand a desperate squeeze. "R-rai-" I stopped him from speaking, not wanting him to waste any breathe he could barely inhale.

"This...i-is it for me." He coughed, speaking the words I had been terrified to admit to myself. Each breath was pained, and they were getting shallower.

"No, no no don't say that." I fought the urge to shake my head as I pleaded, so he could read my lips.

"Rain..." He rubbed my hand with his thumb. "I'm sorry."

"Daxter James Harley don't you leave me." I tried to sound angry, but the words came out mangled with fear and hurt. "I can't do this without you. I can't do anything without you!" I let a tear slip down my eye.

"Y-your stronger than you..think. Braver...smarter. Your going to be...responsible for..beautiful things..." Dax squeezed my hand again, more weakly than last time. I sobbed as another tear slid down my face. Then he said something that completely threw me off.

"What do you..think of our-father?"

I looked down at him. "What?" The hell kind of question is that?

"Answer." He coughed.

"I don't think anything of him. He was never there." I answered honestly.

"You don't...hate him then?" He wheezed.

"How can you hate someone you've never met?" I asked.

"Good..." He nodded to himself. "That's good." Another round of coughing shook him.

"Dax..." I was trying to control my emotions, but they were running away from me and wouldn't listen to my pleas to rein in.

"Gvgeyuhi, Wesa." He whispered._ I love you, Kitten_. I gasped and sobbed almost at the same time at his words. He hadn't spoken cherokee for over three years. More tears spilled from my eyes.

_"I love you too!"_ He had to know that. He couldn't leave me without knowing how much I loved him and how glad I was that he was my big brother. I stared into his chocolaty brown eyes as his breathing got more labored and he lost more and more strength. He didn't have the strength to gasp and suck at the oxygen in the air anymore, and I watched as he took his last breath, all the while staring into my eyes. I watched the life ebb away slowly, and the gaze that had been full of so much emotion, pain, love, pride, sadness...all muddled together in those once bright brown eyes and then sank to the bottom and left his eyes completely. And then he was gone. I let out a choked sob and squeezed his hand, praying with everything I had that he would squeeze back.

I placed my hands on his shoulders and shook them slightly. "Dax! No, no, no please _please!_ Don't do this to me! Come back! Dax! Don't you fucking do this to me! Brother! Please, please please..!" I sank into him, pushing my face into the nape of his neck. He smelt like herbs. I couldn't control my tears as I clutched our still locked fingers to my chest. I cried and cried into my big brother's corpse. I felt multiple hands on my body. My back, my shaking shoulders, the back of my neck, the back of my head, everywhere. I paid no mind to the touches as I desperately clung to Dax.

The crack in my heart my mother left shattered into gleaming dust, right in my chest. The pain overwhelming me was too great, and it was all I could do to cry into my brothers sick-stricken body, begging him to come back to me. He had spoken in Cherokee, I had no idea he even remembered the language. But he did. And he said the words perfectly, like he'd practiced them in his head. I sobbed and my chest ached at the thought. No mother, no father, no brother... I'm all alone.


	8. Chapter 8

My Little Bird- 8

I buried my face into my arms as I tucked my knees closer to my chest. I was in the hollow I've been staying in, trying to pull myself out of this cloud of misery that was floating over me. I only have the lamps on the ceiling lit, so I was bathed in half light. Suddenly, I felt a weight on my legs, and lifted my head to see little Haze hugging my shins. Dear god this child is adorable. I felt a small smile ghost my face as I watched the baby make his baby noises as he nuzzled my legs with his little head. Haze turned his light eyes on me and let out a squeak and smile when we made eye contact.

"Hello." I whispered to the child. He panted and clambered up and I lowered my knees so he could drop into my lap. He reached up for my hair and started running it through his fingers, still making his baby noises. Haze tied a few strands in a knot, and held it up to me, squeaking triumphantly. I looked down at it and made an "oh" noise when I made eye contact with the child.

I heard a shuffle at the hollow mouth and looked up to see Blue Eyes standing just inside the vine curtain. His shoulders jumped a bit when we made eye contact, like a child getting caught doing something naughty. I nodded to him, inviting him in. He hesitated before slowly coming forward and crouching in front of me, watching Haze play.

It was a while before Blue Eyes looked up, making eye contact. "_Would you like to pick a place to lay your brother to rest?"_ He slowly signed. My face dropped. I completely forgot about a burial. It's only been a day, and Dax is still laying in the Obas medical hut.

I nodded slowly. "Thank you." I whispered.

He stayed silent, searching my face with that sky colored gaze. The longer he looked at me the warmer I got, and that fact made me blush more as I looked down. Why is he looking at me like that? I wanted to tell him to stop, but I couldn't open my mouth, the words caught in my throat. I couldn't raise my hands to sign, so my fingers kept rubbing the smooth floor below me. I chewed on my lips as I felt Blue Eyes still gazing at me, burning a hole into my soul. What was he even thinking? I wanted to study the expression on his face, but my neck was locked in place.

Haze seemed to have picked up on the change in the air, and looked from his brother to me over again. He let out a confused mumble and started using my knees as bongos. I had to smile at the child's antics as he leaped from my legs onto Blue Eyes, clambered all over him before hopping back onto me. I giggled when the chimp held his hands over his head in a 'ta-da!' manner. Blue Eyes chuckled too and we locked eyes again, this time less awkward. We shared an amused look before directing our attention back to Haze. The little ankle biter seemed very pleased with himself for lifting the mood.

I stood up, taking Haze into my arms as I did so. He laughed and started looking around at this new height. Blue Eyes stood and I looked up at him, waiting for his next move. He gestured for us to leave and I followed him outside, getting a pleasant surprise when Blue eyes held the vines open for me to walk through. I nodded and mouthed thank you to him. He lead me to the base of the Tree to where Caesar and Cornelia were waiting. I handed Haze to his mother and she put her hand on my shoulder sympathetically.

"_You ready?"_ Caesar signed to me. I took a deep breath and nodded. With that, Caesar, Blue Eyes, Luca and three other bonobos led me out of the village. Where did they expect me to pick? How did they put their dead to rest? What would Dax want? The happiness Haze had sparked in me wore off, and I was again lost in depressed thought.

Loneliness ached inside my rib cage. I'm the last of my family. Who would have thought the runt would be the only one to survive? I gazed at the forest around me, saw the greenery and life. I wished Dax were here to see it too. I felt like I was in the wrong time. I should be hiking through a place like this with my mom and Dax, taking pictures of everything I saw. Not wandering around looking for a place to bury my brother.

I stopped when we came across a humungous redwood tree. The trunk looked like it could have easily been thirty to sixty feet wide, and it towered into the sky for what looked like it could be miles into the clouds, a beanstalk waiting for a Jack. I looked around at the clearing and noticed large rocks and small boulders lining the area, dusted with light layers of moss. Sunlight filtered down through the canopy, giving a golden shine to the clearing. Greenery grew up all along the ground and between rocks, short soft grass carpeted the ground like a green blanket.

Something clicked in my brain and I knew, this was the place. This was where my brother's final resting place had to be. It reflected my feelings toward Dax perfectly. The tree was like a visible representation of the way he had always been there for me, no matter what. It showed his strength and his absolutely rooted in stubbornness when it came to the safety of my mother and I. He had always tried to do the job my father was never there to do.

The greenery reminded me of his kindness and the bright, cheery attitude he had always had. Dax was humorous and a smart ass at times, he knew how to make anyone laugh, just like our mom. Dax had an earthy look to him, and I could see the cherokee in him, even if he was pale skinned. I remembered his warm hugs and the way his eyes would give in to his cheekbones whenever he laughed. He would have made a lucky guy real happy. I sighed sadly at the fact that he never got the chance to find someone to spend the rest of his life with.

I looked to Caesar, who was watching me. I nodded. _"Here_." I signed. He glanced around the clearing and nodded to me. Luca and the three bonobos moved forward and the gorilla signed to me, "_Where do you want to set the grave_?" I moved forward to the foot of the tree and turned back to the apes. "_Right here_." Luca lead the way and he and the bonobos started clawing at the earth. I crouched down and helped, digging my fingers into the soil, uprooting grass plants and marking the earth with a dark scab.

How the fuck am I going to do this? I've never _not_ had Dax there. Sure I've been getting more and more independent, but it just didn't sound right in the slightest thinking that Dax wouldn't be there if I needed him. He's always been there. My knight in shining armor wearing a beanie under his helmet. He's never _not_ been there. I can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that he can't be there anymore. What do I do after I finished the dam? When am I going to finish the dam? Looking for a future without my brother in the picture is like trying to look for a diamond in a muddy lake.

Fuck i can't do this. I'm all by myself and I'm terrified of being alone because when I'm alone bad thoughts come to mind and I can't do this alone. Dax and I never got to really talk about what we would do after our work was done. The plan to go into the wilds was looking worse and worse the more I thought about it. I didn't have a tent, for one, and it's not like I can go get another.

Where would I sleep? How would I eat? That didn't bother me much, if I got my bow back I'd be able to hunt. But I had no experience hunting animals other than fish. I'd have to work on my stealth big time, there are so many things that can cause noise in the forest. And what about protection? I can't rely on my bow to defend me from predators. It did jack shit when that bear attacked, all it did was piss it off. I guess I could ask for some tips on how the apes make their spears. Those things are intimidating as fuck, so that's gotta help somehow.

My eyes were stinging, and I'm fighting to keep the tears at bay and it's all I can do to keep digging. My fingernails are clogged with soil and we've almost finished. We don't stop digging until it's as deep as Luca's shoulder is high. We've made a good long and wide hole in the ground, and a pile of dirt is mounded on the ground beside us. I sighed and dusted off my hands, turning to look at Caesar to await his orders. The ape king walked to me and crouched in front of where I lay sitting on my shins.

_"Rest."_ He patted my shoulder for a moment before standing and signing to the others with a few grunts. I looked up from where I was staring down into the hole in the ground that would be my brothers occupancy soon to see Caesar sign to Blue Eyes, "_Don't leave her alone_." Before moving back in the direction of the village with Luca and the three bonobos.

Blue Eyes and I made contact, and I think my insides froze. The silence rang in my ears for a moment before the sounds of the forest broke through the ringing. I couldn't hold his smoldering gaze for long, I couldn't take the concern and pity swimming in his eyes, and I turned my face to the grave once again. It wasn't long before the apes returned, the gorillas carrying a wooden platform with something bundled in a thin fur. I held in a sob as I got to my feet and moved aside, eyes never leaving the body of my beloved brother.

I was surrounded by a group of apes as they gathered to watch the burial. Caesar himself was helping the gorillas carry the weight, and he looked to me once they got to the foot of the grave. I nodded once and bowed my head as I heard Dax's body slide off the wood and into the grave with a thump. A few traitorous tears cascaded silently down my cheeks as they began to sweep the soil over my brother. I felt multiple hands lay down all over my body, and looked up to see many of the apes were touching me, trying to offer comfort. Cornelia's hand lay on top of my head, and she met my tear filled gaze with her green irises.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. I looked again to Dax's grave and was surprised at how quickly the gorillas large arms had shoveled the earth over my brother. I whimpered when I realized id never feel his hug again. He'd never tussle my hair or kiss my temple as he drew me under my arm. I bit my lip trying to keep the sounds of my inner misery silenced. When the grave was covered, and all that was left to show my brother laid beneath the earth was a black scab on the ground, Deja walked forward, and placed a little bouquet of lavenders, pincushions, and daisies down on the grave. I was touched by the gesture. She glanced at me to make sure it was alright and I signed, "_thank you."_ To her.

She smiled and nodded at me, retreating from the spotlight attention. There was a moment of silence and I was again touched when they all bowed their heads, me included. Afterwards the group broke apart and the gorillas lead the way back to the village. Everyone followed, leaving me with Caesar's family, except for Haze. I looked up at Caesar.

"Thank you. For doing that for him." I clamped my mouth shut after the words left my mouth and blinked away the tears. I did not want to cry in front of these people. He nodded and heaved out a sigh.

"...may I stay here for a little while longer? I don't...I'm not ready to leave him yet." I worked hard to keep my voice steady.

Caesar thought about it for a moment before he nodded. "_Be back before sunset. Dangerous at night_." He signed. I nodded my head and thanked him again. They all started their departure and I turned away, eyes glued to the grave. That's where my brother is going to be forever. And soon I'm going to have to leave him. The tears burned my eyes like smoke at that thought, and I went over to the grave and plopped down next to the scab on the earth. I pouted down at it. _Why'd you have to leave?_ I thought.

I bowed my head and closed my eyes. Maybe I could look for another settlement of immune survivors. But how long would that take? I could be on the other side of the country by the time I find any more people. Do I even want to find other humans? From past experiences, humans don't seem to like me very much. And how would I make it through the nights during the travel? I still have no tent, and I was reluctant to go back into the city.

With a sigh, I turned and seen a young redwood. Five minutes later I was sitting in one of its thickest branches, looking up at the late afternoon sky. Today was muggy. It was hot and the clouds were locking the heat like a giant gray quilt. Was my brother up there, in those clouds? Was he with our mother right now? Was he meeting our little sibling? Why couldn't I save him? I've always wanted to be a doctor like my mom, but now I realize, would I even of been good at it? Doctors are supposed to save lives, if I can't save my own brother, how could I expect anyone else to put their loved ones' lives in my hands? What did I forget to do? He got better within days when it was mother treating him years ago. What's wrong with me?

-hours later-

My eyes flashed open quickly as I jerked awake at a sudden pressure on the nape of my neck. The pressure that I found to be a hand, quickly snapped back. I found myself staring into the wide blue orbs of the ape prince. He had moved back away a little at my sudden movements, but seemed to calm down once I relaxed.

"_Didn't mean to scare you_." He signed. I found myself surprised that I could see so easily, the moon seemed to be practically dumping light onto us.

"It's okay. I didn't mean to fall asleep." I whispered. I leaned to the left and looked down at the ground with a bit of a surprised expression, not realizing just how high up I had climbed. "How did you find me up here?" I blurted out the question as quickly as it came to mind.

_"Scent."_ He signed. I tried not to blush, thinking back to my last shower days ago. It really was the last, I realized as I remembered my banishment.

_"You okay?"_ He signed. I nodded and glanced down toward the fresh grave below us, then shook my head, then nodded my head. I gave an irritated sigh and shrugged. "I don't even know." I muttered.

"What would you do?" I suddenly asked, looking up to meet his gaze.

He gave me a confused look and signed, _"What?"_

"If u were in my position, if you were all alone and had no where to go, what would you do?" I asked.

He stared at me, and I could see the wheels turning in his head as he thought about my question. His eyes subconsciously roamed over me as I sat stretched out on the strong tree branch, back against the red trunk. I struggled not to squirm and I gave silent thanks when a biting breeze suddenly blew through, so I could blame my blush on the cold. He finally shook his head after another few minutes of silence. It wasn't exactly awkward, it more like difficult and comfortable at the same time.

I liked being in Blue Eyes' company. I felt comfortable around him, like I could trust him. When I looked into his eyes, I seen so many emotions swimming in those sky colored depths, and I was left palpitating and fascinated. Even now, my heart was beating quickly. He's been so kind to me, helpful and providing. And I was shocked and flattered and confused whenever he showed this side of him. I'm not used to kindness from anyone outside my mom and brother, and this always brought a pleasant surprise. Not just with Blue Eyes, but so many other apes I've met have been so kind to me, nervous and weary and some even aggressive at first, but in the end I found they were respectable creatures.

"_Ask Father. He knows everything."_ Blue Eyes signed.

I leaned my head back on the tree trunk. "I'll do that." Then I realized something. "Oh, crap. I was supposed to be back before dark. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to doze off." I said as I started my descent down the redwood. Blue Eyes followed slowly, waiting for me. I wasn't sure why, he could be on the ground by now but he was staying by my side. I felt flattered, and my stomach fluttered. Why am I feeling this way? He's an ape.

An ape with gorgeous eyes and a kind personality and a great sense of humor. Damn it, there I go again._ I don't have a crush on him..do I? Of course not that's silly. Right?_ I kept up this internal argument with myself for the entire descent. That is, until I slipped and started falling. I let out a cry of fright and grabbed at the bark, but I couldn't find a hold. My stomach dropped out of me and then bounced to my throat when my fall was stopped suddenly with a jolt. I looked up to see Blue Eyes had caught me. But he didn't stop there, he himself let go of the tree, and I let out another little shout as we fell. I felt Blue Eyes maneuver me in mid air so I was holding onto his shoulders as he held me bridal style. We hit the ground with a thump, Blue eyes landing on his feet. The momentum we had gained nearly knocked me out of his grip and onto the ground, but Blue Eyes arms clamped tight around me, and I was very aware of the muscles in his arms as they flexed to keep me in his hold.

He set my legs down gently and nudged me to my feet. I looked up at him, and he gazed down at me, looking amused. "_Be careful, little bird."_ He signed. His face dropped into alarm right away after he signed those words, and he looked away, embarrassed. My brows raised slightly and my lips parted a bit as my cheeks got warm. The butterflies were beating at my insides and my heart started picking up the pace in my chest.

"Why bird?" I asked before I could stop myself. He looked away even more, refusing to meet my gaze, or even look at me. "I don't mind. But why bird?" I repeated. I really didn't. In fact, I found myself liking that he had called me by a nickname. I wanted him to call me that again. Why am I feeling like this? I thought to myself.

He sighed through his nose and looked up at me again for a second, judging whether I was telling the truth when I said I wasn't mad, and then he looked down at my shoes._ "I heard you singing about the bird."_ He signed.

I tilted my head in confusion. "Singing about a bird?." I said to myself, thinking back to when that might have been. Then it clicked. He heard me sing the Ed Sheeran song in that tree almost a week ago now. "Ohh, I know what you're talking about."

Then I gasped a little. "Oh god, you heard that?" I shook my head and looked down. "I'm a terrible singer." I muttered.

Blue Eyes looked at me, now his turn to look confused_. "No you're not_." He signed.

My got a little wide as I had to look away a little, fighting desperately with the blush on my face. "You think so?" I kept my voice quiet.

There was a moment of eye contact that felt like it lasted a decade, a moment where there was an emotion i couldn't name. I liked it. But the eye contact was broken when his head snapped to the left, as did mine. We had both heard the snap in the woods around us. Something was close by, and watching us. Blue Eyes nudged me in the direction of the village and I complied, glancing toward the noise again. I did a double take when I could of sworn I seen a face. It was dark and a pink scar traveled down over the eye to the snout, the eye shining a blind milky green. The scar seemed to lead a trail to the mouth, were an open mouthed grimace showed a shining fang. The face was gone before I could get another look, and I followed by Blue Eyes' side, thankful of the spear he had picked up from the ground.

We made it back to the village and Blue Eyes stopped me when I went toward the tree to get to my hollow. "_Aren't you hungry?"_ He signed. I glanced to the area where the apes were eating a late dinner. It was almost over and most of the apes had dispersed long ago. I shook my head at Blue Eyes and signed at him, telling him I was tired. He nodded and took me to my hollow.

"Thanks for coming to get me. See you tomorrow?" I said goodbye, halfway inside the vine curtain. He nodded and signed goodnight. I went inside and lit the fire pits, leaving the ceiling lamps off. I laid down and a sob escaped me. The moments with Blue Eyes in the clearing had ended when the mysterious animal was detected, and the journey back was silent. I don't like the silence. It gives me time to fill it up with thoughts of Dax and my mother and my lost sibling I never had the chance to meet.

My whole entire family. Gone. All in a matter of four days. All it took was four days for me to be completely isolated forever from everyone who had ever loved me. What do I do? Question of my fucking life. I've never been so confused before, and no one seems to have the answers I need yet. What if I never find the answers? What if I just left here with nothing but the clothes on my back? How long would it take me to die? Who's going remember me? I'm sure that in a few weeks, I'll be just like a strange dream to the apes.

I drifted into sleep with these thoughts floating around in my mind.


	9. Chapter 9

My Little Bird- 9

"Caesar?" I hesitantly got the ape king's attention. When he established eye contact, I looked down, nervous. "I'd like to work on the dam today." I glanced back up to see his whole family staring at me. (Except Haze, who only had eyes for the little caterpillar crawling by his foot) 

"_You don't have to work yet. Give yourself time to heal_." He signed. I was surprised by his sympathy. Didn't they want me out as soon as possible?

"Please. I need something to do. I can't keep thinking about..." I pleaded, looking down again when I found myself unable to say his name. I wrapped my arms around myself and looked down at the breakfast on my lap. I heard Caesar heave a sigh and I looked up at him.

He nodded slightly while signing, _"We will go after breakfast."_

My shoulders sagged as I let a relieved breath, and I signed, "_Thank you_." After that I focused on trying to eat. I really didn't want to, but I didn't want to waste the food and risk angering the apes.

*time skip*

I was left alone when we reached the dam, and I silently got to work, putting all my attention and ability into getting this hunk of junk running again. I jumped in surprise when I felt a hand on my calf, and turned to see Blue Eyes crouching near me. I was shocked when I noticed that there was barely any light, and I realized I must have worked the day away again. I pulled the lantern I had been using to light up the panel I was working under out so I could see his signing easier.

"_Getting late. We should head back now_."

I nodded and closed up the panel I had been working on. I cleaned up my tools, placing them back into my tool belt. When I looked up, my head quirked a bit in confusion. "Where is everyone?" It was only Blue Eyes and me inside, normally there were one or two here and there.

"_Had to help with something. Just left_." He explained.

I nodded and stood up. We made our way out of the dam and off the logs outside. Then it was a silent trek through the forest towards the village. Well, half of it was silent. Blue Eyes heard it just before I did, holding his arm out in front of my chest to stop me. I was about to question the action when I heard a horse's neigh, followed by the thundering of hooves. We were at the side of the trail, so I wasn't worried about being trampled. But I was surprised when a gorgeous dark grey dappled mare could be seen running our way.

I don't know what strange force compelled me to step out in front of a speeding horse and hold my arms up like an idiot, but it did. The horse gave a high bellow as soil flew forward in the wake of it's skidding hooves and the animal reared onto her hind legs, beating at the air with her hooves. Her front legs dropped to the ground with a loud thud and her two front legs continued to leave the ground a few inches as she hopped a few times.

"Shhh. Easy. Easy." I cooed, waiting for the horse to calm down. Her ears flicked to and fro as she bobbed her head uneasily, letting out a high nicker. I risked a step closer, lowering my arms as I neared. The horse watched me suspiciously, but made no advancements. I cooed to her and held out my hand, palm up, like I had a treat laying in my palm. The horse took a step forward, head lowered, sniffing at my fingers. I waited for her to get closer, and when she did, I raised one hand slowly, keeping it in her sight and stroked her broad cheek.

My hand traveled up to stroke and pat her neck as I held her snout in my other hand. "Easy. Good girl. You're a pretty one, aren't you?" I said softly. I bent down and ripped a clump of long grass from the ground and brushed away the roots and dirt before laying it flat in my hand and presenting it to the horse. She dipped her head and her soft lips stroked the skin of my palm as she ate.

Just then, the trees sent a few leaves and needles drizzling onto us, and the mare's ears turned back. I rubbed and patted her neck comfortingly as a band of apes dropped to the ground. The horse was left uneasy by the sudden arrival and fidgeted in place. I shushed at her softly and caressed her, trying to calm her nerves. Out of the corner of my eye I seen an ape signing with Blue Eyes, and I assumed the prince was explaining what I had done. The others merely stood still and watched me interact with the large animal.

An Orangutan approached, keeping his distance from the horse as his eyes moved from the animal to me slowly. He looked familiar but I couldn't figure out from where exactly. I watched to see what he would do, and he held my eyes and signed to me. _"You calm horse?"_

I nodded with a little, "Mm-hmm" and stroked the bridge of the horse's nose. I glanced at her and gave her a light, comforting scratch on the neck as she pushed her face into me. She kept pushing her head into my shoulder forcefully enough to force me to take a step back and I gave my full attention to her for a moment or two, to calm her down. When she seemed sated enough, I turned back to the orangutan as he watched me interact.

"_Horse does not listen. Has wild heart_." He peered at me. "_Horse likes you_."

"Don't know why." I said softly. "Why did she bolt?" I added, wondering what could have caused this beautiful creature to fly through the forest like that.

"_Young bloods started wrestling. Spooked horse_." He explained. I nodded, and hummed in understanding. I assumed this is what the other apes at the dam had to help with.

A bonobo grunted and started signing to the orangutan. "_We should go. Getting dark_."

The orangutan nodded turned back to me. "_My name is Maurice_."

"I'm Rain." I returned politely.

"_I'm sorry for your brother."_ He signed. My face dropped.

I nodded and signed thank you. Maurice gestured for me to follow and, not knowing what to do with the horse, I laid one hand on the bridge of her nose and the other on the top of her neck, burying my fingers into her long black mane as I led her back the way she had came from. I was surprised at how easily she complied, but then I supposed it was because of how much less adrenaline must be pumping through her.

I removed my hand from her nose and kept the other on her neck. I became quiet again and tried not to think of my departed brother. Anything else, just not him. I listened to the sounds around me, the footsteps and hoof beats, the sounds of vegetation being brushed aside, the birds singing above my head. I listened to their song, remembering the familiarity of the tones. I haven't heard real birdsong like this in years, and for almost a week I have been surrounded by it and only now I realized to appreciate it.

When we got back to the village, I still didn't know what to do with the horse. I caught the attention of the most familiar ape, Blue Eyes, and asked him what to do with her. He glanced at the horse, and beckoned me to follow him. The prince led me through the village and to a part of the area I had never been to before. It was a valley snug between two mountain-like hills. A large meadow covered most of it, and a large section was devoted to a pasture, fenced in with logs built into fences. Horses, mostly dark coated, I realized, were gathered in there. And I barely noticed the horses inside a cave scooped into the wall of the right hill. I supposed that was for shelter from the weather.

Blue Eyes opened the gate to the pasture and I maneuvered the horse inside, giving her hindquarters a little slap to get her to move. She trotted inside and turned back as the gate swung shut. She lifted her neck over the fence and bobbed her head toward me, neighing out at me and motoring her lips, annoyed. I motored back at her and lifted my hand up, waiting for her consent to touch her. When she nuzzled my knuckles, I stroked her velvety soft nose. I smiled when she blew air into my face and I blew air back into her nose.

"Go on." I nudged her toward the heart of the pasture, where horses were standing doing their horse thang. Blue Eyes was watching me with a strange look in his eyes the whole time.

"What?" I asked, getting tired of the odd stare and trying to fend off the blush that tormented me whenever I became too aware of him. Blue Eyes raised his hands to sign but was stopped when a hand clapped my shoulder, and I jumped in surprise and turned to see a young female chimpanzee smiling at me.

_"How did you do that?"_ She signed excitedly. My head quirked in confusion.

"Do what?"

_"Tame horse."_ She pointed to the dappled mare, who had taken some steps away from the fence, watching with back-turned ears. "_That horse is crazy_." She signed.

I glanced at the mare. "She just seems a little mistrusting." I said. "Does she have a name?" I wondered out loud.

_"No, we call her devil horse for now. She won't accept any of the names we_ _try."_ She peered at me curiously. "_Maybe from you. She seems fond of you. Will you name her?"_

"Really?" I was surprised again. Where was all this kindness coming from? They barely know me! And here this female was asking me to name one of their horses, one of their most beautiful horses at that. But, not wanting to anger her, I agreed to her request.

_"Speaking of names."_ She pointed to her chest. "Lisa." She said out loud. Her voice wasn't as hoarse as Cornelia's from lack of use, but it was light toned.

I smiled politely and pointed to my own chest. "Rain."

_"Lots of you here_." She joked. I giggled and nodded. "_I've noticed_." Right as I said that, it started drizzling.

"_Look, here you are now_." She laughed at her own joke and I joined in. I officially like her.

"_I'm usually around here. So when you think of a good name for the horse, come find me."_ She signed.

I nodded. "Okay."

Blue Eyes walked up beside us. _"If you ladies are done, I'd like to get out of the cold now."_

"_Yes, O great prince_." Lisa and I signed (and I spoke as well) at the same time. We started giggling and sharing glances as Blue Eyes tried to hide his amused smile. I said goodbye to Lisa and followed Blue Eyes back to the Tree.

"_Have you thought about what you're going to do after you finish your work?"_ Blue Eyes signed to me. My face dropped and I let out a sad sigh.

"_No clue."_ I signed back. Blue Eyes glanced at me and I held eye contact until he turned away.

_"Will you look for other humans?"_ He signed. I glanced at his face, but he kept his suddenly stony expression forward.

I sighed after a moments hesitation. "I don't know. I don't think so."

Out of the corner of my eye, I seen him glance at me again. "_You'll figure something out_." He shrugged. The rest of the walk was silent, and the mood had changed. His question about humans had stirred something, and now I was left trying to figure out what it was. When we made it back to the gathering place, dinner what in session. Cornelia was munching on a stick of celery as she watched Caesar trying to coax Haze into eating a Brussels sprout, but like most human children, he wanted nothing the do with the green ball of vegetation.

I set down my stone food dish in my lap and started placing small bits of veggies in my mouth and watched the family interact. Blue Eyes got Haze's attention and signed, _"Watch."_ As he picked up his own Brussels sprout and ate it. _"See? Good."_

The little chimp looked at war with himself. He didn't seem to think it looked good, but if his big brother said so...it was a feeling I remembered well. Finally after mulling it over while staring at the green ball loathsomely, he picked it up gingerly between his index finger and thumb, and took a bite out of it. He chewed slowly, pulling a face as if bracing himself for a nasty taste, but then his features bloomed with surprise and he quickly swallowed and ate the rest of it in two big bites from his little teeth. The family praised their youngest happily on his new food discovery and I smiled.

Haze then seemed to notice I was there out of the corner of his eye because his head shot in my direction and he scampered up my legs and I quickly moved my dish out of the way. When he was in my lap he reached over to my plate and grabbed one of the Brussels sprouts I had put there. Cornelia moved to stop him but ceased her movement when Haze held up the veggie close to my mouth. I realized what he wanted and raised my fingertips to his delicate little wrist to make sure I wouldn't hurt him as I dipped my head down and took a bite out of the sprout. He watched me intently as I chewed and when I swallowed I smiled and signed, _"Yummy."_

Haze threw his arms in the air and panted out a series of little laughs with a wide happy smile. I giggled and signed, _"Yay!"_

_"Good! Good, yummy."_ Haze signed excitedly. I found it extremely adorable how excited the child was._ Over veggies too_. I thought fondly. I nodded and signed. _"Yeah."_ Haze then placed his little palm over my nose and I recognized our little game immediately. I indulged him and puffed up my cheeks with air, and when Haze cupped my face, I let the air go. Cornelia didn't let the game go on for long before she tapped Haze's shoulder blade and got the child's attention as he held my face.

_"Enough. Play later, eat now."_ She signed. He pouted and looked up at me, as if waiting for me to protest.

_"Better listen to mother."_ I advised with a shrug and smile.

He pouted, dropping his arms and groaning, annoyed. But he listened and jumped to Cornelia, and she proceeded to feed him his dinner. I set about eating my own dinner and busied myself with thinking up a name for that gorgeous mare. She was unique, the only horse I had seen here who didn't have an ebony or bay colored coat, not to mention her fiery spirit. But I could sense a sweet side in her, so I knew her name had to be unique like her, and it had to roll off the tongue nicely. I thought about the female names I liked and put twists in them inside my head.

Finally I took the one of my favorite names and started playing with it. When I replaced the first letter of the name with a different one, I listened to the ring of it, then moved on to a different one. Finally I came up with a name that I kept repeating in my head, meaning to move on to the next letter but not being able to without thinking back to it. That's how I knew. That was the perfect name for the mare.

My thoughts were broken when four chimpanzees approached, heads down respectfully. I recognized Rocket, and when another glanced up I seen it was Ash. I seen the resemblance between the two and realized Ash must be Rocket's son. Caesar nodded to them with a welcoming smile and they lifted their heads. I then seen Lisa was the third ape, and she caught my gaze immediately. I gave a smile and nod in greeting and she returned the gesture, moving to sit by me. Ash and Blue Eyes then joined her, sitting on the ground in front of us. I supposed they were sitting with us for dinner tonight.

_"Hi, human."_ Ash signed as he set down his dish.

_"Hi, Ash."_ I signed back.

_"So you've met my brother? Doesn't really surprise me."_ Lisa signed. That's when I realized the resemblance between them, and felt stupid that I didn't recognize it sooner like I had between father and son. I nodded at her sentence.

_"Have you thought of a name yet? Or do you need more time?"_ She signed as we all tucked into our food. As I chewed on a berry, I signed, "_I was thinking..." _I then finger spelled the name.

She hummed in pleasant surprise. "_Why didn't I think of that? You're a smart human."_

_"You like?"_ I asked.

_"Fits horse perfectly."_ She nodded and patted the top of my head. Once again I felt like a pet puppy for three seconds, but I didn't hold a grudge.

We started talking about what Lisa does with her days. She's one of the horse caretakers. She told me something that put a wide, fascinated smile on my face. Apparently they've started teaching the horses a few basic gestures. Nothing too much, they're not as smart as apes or humans, but a few years ago, the apes really recognized the brain power the horses had as well as muscle power. Lisa was one of the apes that taught the young ones these gestures after they're broken in. She says it's going wonderfully. _"Especially,"_ she added with a sly grin. _"You're devil horse. Very smart. She's even escaped the pasture a few times._" Somehow that little tidbit didn't surprise me.

She spent the rest of the dinner time explaining about how important her job was, how, now because of her work, apes could manage their horses better during hunts and exercises and things. So much so that Ash got tired of hearing his older sister boast and finally slouched dramatically and signed, _"We get it, we get it. You like horses."_ He and Blue Eyes had a laugh about that, until Lisa cuffed her brother upside the head and gave a flick to the temple to Blue Eyes. Then it was our turn to laugh when they gaped incredulously at her. Out of the corner of my eye, I seen the adults watching us, smiles on their faces. I secretly paid attention to their _conversation,_ while somehow still staying apart of my conversation with Lisa, Blue eyes and Ash. _The wonders of multitasking_, my mother would of said.

"_Hardly seems human_." Rocket signed.

_"Is something wrong with her? Is that why they banish her?"_ The female who accompanied Rocket, his mate, I assume, signed.

"_She interacts well with apes. I've been watching her_." Rocket signed, seeming confused.

"_Apes seem to like her. Surprises me, given some of their past experiences..."_ Caesar nodded.

"_Haze likes her very much. He thinks she is ape. Makes me wonder how she will do with other ape children."_ Cornelia signed, shrugging afterward.

"_It's a shame about her mate_." Rocket's female signed, giving a sympathetic sigh. I tried not to feel mortified as I dealt with the pang in my chest at the mention of Dax.

"_Not mate_." Caesar corrected. "_The male was her brother."_

"_How old is she, anyway?"_ Rocket signed, glancing at me and I quickly cast my eyes foreword. I turned my head back in time to see Caesar answer, _"Young."_

"_Seems around their age."_ Rocket's female pointed out. I assumed she meant Ash, Blue Eyes and Lisa. Ash and Blue Eyes were teenagers, like me, that much was apparent, but Lisa seemed more Dax's age, just getting into adulthood.

"_What will you do with her?"_ Rocket asked Caesar.

He heaved a sigh and I was forced to look away as I felt he was about to look at me. I forced myself to get into the conversation Lisa and the others were having about who's horse could win a race, and I agreed with Lisa that that 'devil horse' could win so it would seem I hadn't just been spying on the adults conversation.

_"Not sure."_ I watched Caesar sign to his friends question. "_What do you think?"_

"_I'll support whatever decision you make."_ Rocket answered. His female agreed.

"_Maurice told me he met her today. Says she did well with the devil mare. Says he sees ape in her_." Cornelia signed, and I had to hold back a gasp of surprise. They saying I'm hairy or something? I self consciously glanced down at my arm, and seen nothing out of the ordinary. At least not that I could see.

"_Devil mare?"_ Rocket hooted in surprise. "_That thing nipped at me as soon as I got close. That small thing did well? How well? Explain_." I don't think he looked angry, just skeptical. But then again, aside from actual signing, I don't know how good I am at reading actual ape body language. I also tried to let the 'that small thing' comment go, he was right. I _was_ small.

Rocket's female laughed and patted his shoulder. "_Now, don't get jealous just because a horse likes the human_."

"_Not jealous! Surprised_." He corrected his mate. I had to fight back a smile, but I didn't have to for long before Ash and Blue Eyes started fighting over a pile of blackberries, and they both started plucking them up one by one and pushing the berries past their lips as quickly as they could before their hands shot out for another, all the while slapping each other's hands away. Lisa and I found it widely amusing as we tried not to laugh too loud.

I momentarily forgot about eavesdropping as the boys messed around. My attention was pulled away by a loud hoot and an arm waving in the air. I, and many other apes, turned to see what Deja was doing, and I soon realized she was waving me down. I tilted my head and signed, _"Yeah?"_

_"Rain! Hi!"_ Was all she signed. I let out an amused sigh and waved back, smiling at her. That was all she seemed to want as she turned away and back to the young apes she was eating with. It was one of the few times I had seen her without her mask on. I immediately felt shy when I seen the apes who's attention had belonged to Deja turned on me, and I lowered my head and looked down at my food. Through my lashes I seen Ash turn slightly and I lifted my head to watch him sign.

"What? I know it's hard to find a better looking ape than me to stare at, but this is too much. At least take turns" The whole group seemed to either break out into laughter or turn away and grumble, annoyed. I couldn't help but laugh too as Blue Eyes clapped his friend on the shoulder for his joke. He seemed rather pleased with himself and i took the moment to thank him.

"_For what? My good looks?"_ He signed jokingly. "_No need to thank, I'm happy to provide_."

We kept laughing, even as Lisa pretended to be annoyed and signed, "_Ever heard of humility?"_ Ash just continued to laugh, paying no heed to his sisters words.

Lisa tapped my shoulder. _"I'd like to try something with the horse. Need you with me for it. Will you?"_

I nodded in agreement and we set down our now empty dishes and Lisa set about leading me back to the meadows before being stopped by Rocket's female, her mother. "_Where are you going?"_

"_To the horses. I want to show Rain to Cloud_." Lisa signed, nodding at me as her mother glanced at me, than at Rocket. I assumed Cloud was a horse. "What do you think?" She asked Rocket. He looked at Lisa and me, then at Caesar, who remained quiet before Rocket signed. "_As long as the boys go with you."_

Lisa pouted. "_Father, no. He'll rile them up_." She pointed to Ash, who made a point at looking offended in the most dramatic way possible.

_"Getting dark. Need protection if predator nearby. Think_." He advised his daughter.

"_Nothing hunt horses for years. We'll be fine."_ She argued.

_"Take the boys or not at all."_ He said, turning away from his child, his point final. Lisa groaned with annoyance and turned to her brother.

_"Come on, you little thorn in my side."_ She signed, glaring at her younger sibling. Then she turned and started walking away.

Ash chuckled. _"Looks like I'm doing something right."_ He signed, following his sister.

Blue Eyes gave a puff of laughter through his nose and shook his head, shrugging to me a smile when our eyes met. He gestured me to follow as he grabbed a spear from a little basket sitting by a gorilla. The gorilla grunted and glared at the young chimp, stopping him on his way.

_"What do you need it for?"_ The large primate eyed the prince suspiciously, not seeming to give a damn about the young blood's rank.

"_Going to check on horses_." I seen him sign as I continued to walk, I paced myself faster until I was just behind Lisa and Ash, who were bickering about something I didn't really care enough to find out about.

I heard Blue Eyes' footsteps as he caught up and joined the three of us. We walked in comfortable silence through the fire lit village behind the bickering siblings, listening as they grunted and huffed half heatedly at each other. When we got to the horses area, i seen the perimeter of the fence was lined with bonfires in dug out pits, a few feet away from the fences so the wood or horses wouldn't get burned. The fires burned brightly and cast a warm glow over the horses. My eyes scanned the herd, and in the sea of dark bodies until my odd hazel eyes landed on a beautiful coat. The mare's body looked like a black silhouette, and her silver dappled cast a silvery sheen off her.

Lisa turned to me. "_This is more of a test for you_." My brows raised in surprise. What? "_I want to see what the horse does_." She explained further. "_So really, this is a test for both of you."_

"_Both? Who else?"_ I signed back, confused.

"_You and your devil horse_." She grinned, her sour mood from before gone.

"_What do you want me to do?_" I asked.

"Call her." Lisa spoke out loud, gesturing to the horse.

I hesitated before walking slowly up to the fence and folding my arms over the top tier. I kept my eyes on the mare as I lifted my head clicked my tongue a few times. Several horses heads bobbed up from their lowered grazing positions, including the dark dapple mare's. My eyes stayed on hers as she walked foreword, slowly and gracefully, picking up her hooves delicately. By now, the other three horses who had come at my beckon were hovering near the fence, deciding whether they were interested in me or not. The mare walked up and arched her neck over the fence and leaned forward to nuzzle my hair with her lips before blowing a puff of warm air in my face. I blew air back into her nose as I reached up to pet her cheek.

"Good girl, Zira." I praised, trying out her possible new name. In the end it was the horse who decided the name, it all depended if she would come when called by it. She nickered at the sound of the name, and a little seed of hope grew in me. I gestured for her to stay, knowing she'd know it, and walked down the length of the fence for a little bit until I was about ten feet away.

"Zira!" I called. The horse stared at me, seeming confused before she tossed her head once and gave a short whinny as she trotted over. I smiled widely and lavished the horse with praise in the form of pets and strokes and words.

"_I think she likes it_." Lisa signed as she and the boys joined me.

"Think so?" I asked through a giggle as Zira leaned foreword and nuzzled my neck, tickling me. I pushed her head away but gave her a scratch under her forelock. I reached my arm foreword and rubbed her strong, graceful neck.

"_I've never seen her so...affectionate_." Lisa signed, smiling widely, her fangs poking out from behind her lips.

_"It really likes you."_ Blue Eyes signed, in a mute way, almost seeming stunned.

I shrugged and smiled. "I really like her too."

"_I think you should come here more often. We need to use her name with her as often as possible. The other horses learn their names when they're young, she's a little older now_." Lisa signed.

She didn't look very old to me, so I asked, "How old is she?"

Lisa eyed Zira, before answering me. "_Around four years_."

I nodded and Blue Eyes started signing after a glance into the meadows long grasses. "_We should go now._" He was obviously worried about danger stalking through the long grass stalks.

Lisa snorted irritatedly. "_You too? I've been here all night long before and nothing has ever happened. Predators know to stay away_."

"_Still, let's not risk it_." He insisted. I noticed the way Ash was watching Blue Eyes, as if waiting for a command. It was then I realized the similarity between some of their relationship, and Caesar's and Rocket's. Ash would do anything Blue Eyes asked of him.

Lisa sighed and nodded. _"Fine."_

I turned back to the horse. "Bye, Zira. See you tomorrow."

With that, we started back toward the heart of the village. Ash and Lisa left to their family's home once we got there, and Blue Eyes and I were left in silence. That is, until he started signing when we past a bonfire, giving more light to see by.

"_Have you ever ridden a horse before?"_ He asked. I tried not to skip to conclusions, trying to cap the excited spark that had ignited in me.

"No." I answered. He nodded in acknowledgement and through the corner of my eye I seen him glance at me.

"_Do you..."_ He dropped his hands, stopping his sentence.

"Do I what?" I pushed, my curiosity spiking.

He shook his head. "_Nothing. Never mind_."

"Blue Eyes, what is it?" I persisted.

He glanced at me and I held his eyes until he looked away two seconds later. I kept my gaze on him until he was forced to look back. I nodded at him encouragingly. He gave a short sigh, like he was trying to be irritated.

"_Do you miss living in the city? With the humans?"_ He signed, eyes boring into mine.

My eyes widened at his question. Where did that come from? That was the second human related question of the day. I shook my head as we started to climb up to the mouth of my hollow in the big Tree. I stepped half inside, so my left shoulder was draped in leaves. "I miss my family, not the city."

"_Not friends?"_

"I didn't have any. I had bullies, and people who pitied me. That's basically as much as I got from anyone outside my family. I'm an outcast and a freak. Always have been" I concluded, thinking back to my times in elementary school when I had hid from the other kids so they wouldn't pick on me for my strange eyes.

_"Don't see anything freaky_." He put emphasis on the word 'freaky'.

I gave him a look. "Don't my eyes weird you out?" I was suddenly terrified to hear his answer.

He shook his head and an emotion flashed across his glacial colored orbs. "_My eyes different too. Difference isn't bad_."

My eyes widened at that. No one but my mom had ever said that to me, and it shocked me for some reason to find out she hadn't been the only one to think so. I looked down, then back up and gave him a genuine smile. "_Thank you. I really needed to hear that_." I signed.

He gave a small smile and nodded, but then his face seemed to drop. "_We're friends, right?"_

I again took on a surprised expression. Did I give off an unfriendly vibe? Jesus Christ I hope not. "Of course I'm your friend." I kept my voice quiet, realizing that most of the apes were probably going to sleep right about now, as there was no one else in sight.

We held eye contact and in that moment I knew if I died now I'd be happy to have my last sight be his fantastic eyes for which he was named, moon light splashed across his face, making those crystalline orbs seem infused with drops of the sky. He nodded and moved a few steps forward, so we were side by side, maintaining eye contact.

_"Good."_ He sighed. "_Goodnight, little Bird_." Then he walked away, up towards his family's dwelling. _Goodnight._ I thought after his retreating form.

I retreated to my bed of moss after lighting the fire pits. I had a warm, fuzzy feeling inside me waging war with the butterflies tumbling around in my stomach. Why did he make me feel this way? He's an _ape _for God's sake. I don't even know what this feeling is. Is it just a feeling of friendship I've never felt before or is it just plain attraction? Either way I knew I felt something when in his presence. What the hell is wrong with me? My thoughts stayed on this matter for a while until I tried to force myself to sleep.

That's when my mind entered a reality I did everything I could in the daylight hours to avoid. This state of mind is when my brain remembers that by the end of the day, when the darkness creeps into my mind and my body is surrounded by firelight, that I'm alone. My brother can't be there to hug away the tears of my mothers death, and my mother can't be there to cradle away the shock and denial of my brother's eternal departure. This is when I remember that not a soul in this world loves me.


	10. Chapter 10

My Little Bird- 10

I grunted as I cranked a lever multiple times, rust cracking off under my fingers, leaving red dust and dirt all over my hands. I took a deep breath and cranked the lever again, pulling with all my strength. Finally, the jammed lever gave in and lowered almost to the floor as I let out another grunt of strain. As soon as the lever had gone all the way down, a rumbling sound shook the dam and the sound of rushing water filled my ears. I looked up and seen the pipes vibrating and dust and rust falling off as the water jetted through them. My face split into a grin and I ran up a flight of stairs to the main workings room and checked the gages and readings. All working.

"I did it." I whispered to myself. "I did it!" I said louder, backing away from the control desk and leaning my back against the railing behind me, wiping the dirt off my forehead.

A pair of thuds beside me alerted me to the arrival of Rocket and Blue Eyes. Blue Eyes was looking around at the dam as it kicked into gear, jumping slightly at some of the sounds. Rocket, on the other hand, was staring right at me, and I met his green gaze excitedly.

"I did it!" My sentence ended with a girly giggle. I was ecstatic that I was able to complete my assignment, and given the days I had been able to work on it, I accomplished successful functioning of the dam within four days. I got giddy at the thought as pride washed over me.

_"What does this mean?"_ Rocket signed, I supposed he was asking for clarification.

"The dam is running again. Now I just need to check if it worked. And I can't do that until nightfall." I said. "If it worked, the city will glow." I added, more to myself.

Rocket heaved a sigh. _"Let's get back then, unless there's more for you to do."_

I shook my head. _"Let's go back."_ I agreed with the older ape.

They and the other apes inside lead me out of the dam. One of the younger males, barely even out of child years, even held out his hand for me to help me get across the logs, the little gentleman. I heard an irritated huff behind me but when I looked I seen no clues as to who made the sound. When we had descended the lumber, I thanked the little gentleman, who beamed and nodded before scampering off toward two older apes. I giggled at his cuteness and continued following the apes back toward the village.

I was glad that the apes no longer crowded around me when I was being escorted through the forest, and I was allowed to walk in my own personal bubble of space. We made it half way through the forest to the village when I realized I had forgotten my tool belt in the dam. I had taken it off because one of the tools had been digging into me and I didn't need it once I started the finishing touches on the dam, so I had taken it off. Now it seemed in the midst of my excitement I had forgotten it. I swore under my breath and turned back, only seeing about ten or so apes behind me, luckily one of them being Blue Eyes.

He caught my eye as soon as I had turned around, and signed. _"What is it?"_

"I left my tool belt in the dam. I have to go get it." I explained.

He hesitated before nodding. _"Let's go."_

"You don't have to if you don't want to." I said, remembering how he had missed breakfast this morning and had been with us at the dam all day. He must have been starving, and he could get a snack when we got to the village, going with me would just delay his return. He gave me a look.

_"Don't be silly."_ He shook his head.

"Are you sure? It's not that far, if I run I'll catch up in a few minutes." I persisted. He gave me a strange look. He glanced back at the group, who had kept walking on.

_"I'll wait right here. But take this."_ After he signed that, he took the spear in his hands and snapped it in half with a splintering crack. He handed me the end with the stone tip and nodded. _"Hurry."_

I had to pretend that watching him snap a thick spear in half with nothing but his bare hands while not even having to struggle at all with it didn't phase me, and then I took the spear and nodded. I gave him a smile before turning and jogging back in the direction of the dam. I clambered over the logs quickly, slipping a few times on the damp wood as I made it inside the dam. I quickly retrieved my belt from the cold floor and quickly snapped the belt around my waist, not wanting to be alone in the large, damp and now shaking-slightly structure.

I hurried out and over the lumber outside, walking through the cold spray drifting up from the roaring waterfall. I walked quickly into the leaf carpeted forest floor, into the shade of the massive trees growing lushly around me. I soon felt a strange sensation in my stomach and throat, and glanced around, paranoid. I was being watched. I became hyper-aware of everything around me as a primal prey-fear dripped into my stomach, and my hearing became stronger and my sight sharper. I became a deer. I heard every leaf fall with a dull swish all around me, and jumped every time a squirrel moved through the branches above my head. I chewed my bottom lip as I gripped my half spear tightly in both hands, inwardly debating whether or not I should kiss Blue Eyes later for making me take it with me while another part of me focused on the matter at hand. I breathed in deeply, trying to calm down my nerves when I heard something brush against a bush, causing the thin branches to shake for a moment before settling, and I gasped and whipped my head in the direction of the sound, but seen no cause for the disturbance.

I fought with my fight-or-flight instinct, fear rising from my stomach to my chest, like I was trapped in a glass box that kept filling with water slowly, I left with no seeable way of escaping death._ Don't run, don't run, don't run..._I repeated the mantra in my head as I allowed myself to quicken my pace a little, now extremely relieved that Blue Eyes had said that he'd stay where we were when I had realized I was missing my belt. I was getting close, but it felt like I still had a mile to go and I was jumping at every sound. My mind started playing tricks on me, and I seen shadows out of the corner of my eye, and I could of sworn I heard a low growl. I knew it was irrational and I was frightening myself, but fear makes it hard to stay calm.

Suddenly, the bushes to my left exploded and a loud roar filled my ears as a paw seeming the size of my face slashed at me, sending me sprawling with a terror filled scream. I rolled to my feet and my hands cupped the area where I was bleeding on the left side of my midriff, and on the rise of my hip bone. I didn't have time to asses myself as my eyes were immediately drawn to my attacker, a tawny furred cougar. It's head was low, fangs bared as the growl I had thought to be a trick of the frightened mind rumbled through the cats chest, it's yellow amber eyes never leaving mine. It's dark tipped tail flicked back and forth behind it as it slowly circled me, moving closer. I started to slowly side step, following its lead as my eyes flicked from it's blazing eyes to the spear laying where I had dropped it not five feet away and back again. As I made eye contact with the dangerous cat, a new instinct took over me: defend myself. I tucked my chin into my chest and sharpened my eyes, secretly wondering what color they were at this moment as I stared the cat down, working my way closer to the weapon on the ground. My side burned with each step, and I could feel the blood dripping down my skin in hot little trickles that I forced myself to ignore. The animal hissed at me, and without even thinking about it I raised my upper lips, baring my ultimately harmless teeth and hissed right back. _The fuck?_ I thought to myself right after the action.

I made a decision that would either get me killed or save my life, and I tightened my muscles painfully, waiting for my moment. I watched the cat's movements, predicting its steps until I watched it tense and coil, and I timed myself. When the cat let out a screech as it jumped for me, limbs outstretched, ready to lock me in a death grip, I dove for the spear, rolling to my feet and turning on the balls of my feet to face the cat again. It's paws skidded and it let out an irritated growl as it turned and shot itself back at me, giving me basically no time to brace myself. The large predator bowled me over, but before it could sink its claws or teeth into me, I heard a piercing, heart wrenching cry tear itself out of the cat's throat as if the sound were a living creature trying desperately to escape the cougar's body, and the cat fell limp, draping its heavy weight over me. I realized I had instinctively held the spear out defensively, and the spear tip embedded itself into the cougar's chest, no doubt rupturing a vital organ or two. My arms, bulked up with just enough of small muscle to lift the cats shoulders off me for the cats head to loll down limply. It was still alive, staring at me no longer with the eyes of a hunter but with the eyes of a fellow creature, just fighting to keep itself alive. My eyes widened slightly at all the emotion that swam in those bright colored irises. It held no grudge, and neither did I. I watched as the cat gave one last heaving, no doubt painful, breath, and with a heavy exhale it went completely limp, and I was no longer able to hold its weight up.

As soon as the heavy skull dropped onto my chest, I heard a screech tear the air and branches rock violently before a loud thump sounded just feet away from my head. I started shimmying my shoulders to try and get myself out from under the lion as I looked up, seeing Blue Eyes' panicked face. He made a sound that to me sounded like he was saying "ray." And I supposed it was a half hearted attempt to say my name. He rushed foreword and picked the lion up in his arms, the spear going with it as Blue Eyes removed the animal from my body. I would have gawked at the strength he hid under all that fur had my side not been burning angrily. The ape above me threw the lion's body down and it landed with a dull thud. I propped myself up on my elbows and hissed through my teeth at the pain. Four long slash marks marred my tanned skin, and dark red lines of blood trailed down my side. I whimpered as the pain increased, the more aware of the wounds I became. Blue Eyes crouched next to me, panting softly in concern as he viewed my injuries. He reached out to graze his fingertips over one of the cuts, but shot his hand back when I flinched.

_"Knew I should of gone with you." _He signed.

"Not your fault." I said as I tried to draw my legs under me to stand, wincing and whimpering a bit as I did. Idiotically, I tried to use my left leg to push myself up and when my leg trembled and the pain was too much, I collapsed onto my shins, letting out a small cry and a Cherokee curse was muttered under my breath as I clutched the area around my side. Blue Eyes grunted and placed a hand on my shoulders and shook his head at me, and signing for me to stay down. I sighed and looked up at him apologetically.

_"I'm sorry."_ I signed.

He gave me a look. _"What for? Nearly dying?"_

I huffed out a short sigh. "It's gonna take a while for us to get back to the village."

"_So? What's that got to do with anything?"_

"You must be starving." I said.

_"What?"_ He seemed confused and I got worried when I also seen a hint of anger in those blue hues.

"You haven't eaten today."

"_Are we seriously talking about my diet when you're sitting there bleeding?"_ He signed, huffing angrily.

"_You're not denying it_." I signed back.

_"So I'm a little peckish..." _He trailed off when his stomach growled loudly, seeming almost painfully. I raised a brow.

"A little? Really?"

"_Why are we talking about this? I need to get you to the Obas_." He shook his head, as if clearing the sidetracked conversation from his mind. He then positioned himself so he could help me up easily. I was surprised (though I don't really know why by now) when he didn't strain at all when he hoisted me to my feet. I hung onto him, lifting my left leg gingerly as the blood trails had nearly reached my ankle, a few drops dripped off my knee as I moved. It wasn't flowing quickly, but I was unsure with how long it would take to get back to the village, to safety. Blue Eyes was warm, and my energy was being drained by the shock and adrenaline loss, and I had a strong urge to just cuddle up to the handsome ape and go to sleep. Jesus there I go again. Even when I'm injured and limping I can't keep my teenage girl thoughts away. _The hell is going on with me?_ I inwardly chided myself.

I limped along slowly, looking back at the dead lion and hoping it went in peace, saying a prayer for the life I had taken to preserve my own, the way my mother and brother had taught me. When I finished my silent prayer, I turned back and focused on getting back to the village. We were moving along slowly, and the more I used my leg, the more blood flowed from it, and I was getting worried. Suddenly I was lifted into the air and my right side was pressed against a warm wall, the sudden movement causing me to get lightheaded. When the dizziness subsided, I looked up and blushed slightly when I seen that Blue Eyes had scooped me up bridal style and was carrying me through the woods. Given we were moving much faster now, but I couldn't help but question him.

"What are you doing?"

"Too. Slow. You need. Help." He growled, being forced to use his voice as his hands were a bit preoccupied, and let me tell you, I think I have a crush on his voice too now. I didn't protest, and tucked my chin down and leaned my head against his warmth, hoping he hadn't noticed my blush. Blue Eyes continued through the forest quickly, at one point he sped up so much that I started bouncing in his arms and I flinched at the pain burning my side. He immediately slowed down again and apologized, and I was left there juggling between telling him it was okay, controlling my inward fangirling over his voice, and dealing with the pain.

By the time we could see the village gates, a gorilla had already spotted us and called for backup, so now several gorillas were approaching quickly. I expected Blue Eyes to put me down but he held me tight. _God please don't blush_. I begged myself silently.

_"What happened?"_ A silverback, signed.

"She. Was. Attacked." Blue Eyes explained. Jesus Christ that voice. My thoughts started drifting as I felt my energy depleting quickly, and my head started swimming. If I had been standing on my own I had no doubt that I would have toppled over. I was grateful that Blue Eyes had carried me, though I also had other thoughts on that. But my focus was straying and my vision was getting blurry and my head was pounding. I felt a slight shaking and in the back of my mind I was aware that it was Blue Eyes trying to get my attention, and I tried to force myself to say something, but the words got caught in my throat. I was so tired, and the world was getting darker as my eyes dropped lower, and I gave in to the wave of darkness that washed over me, and I blacked out.

-the next morning-

I woke as a pained hiss slid through my teeth, and my hand subconsciously traveled down to my midriff, were an aching pain burned. I opened my eyes slowly and looked around my surroundings, seeing fire crackling to light the dark room I was in. Underneath me I felt soft moss and plants, and I realized I was in the Obas healing hut. I wasn't alone, and seen Deja and a male Oba I didn't know. Deja hurried toward my head and peered down at me while the male left the room.

_"Rain? Do you know where you are?" _She signed, hooting at me softly.

"Deja? What's going on?" I asked as I propped myself up, wincing at the twinge of pain added to my side. I looked down to see large leaves wrapped around my waist.

_"With Obas. Do you know what happened to you?"_ She kept up her questioning.

I thought back to the last events I remembered. The dam, forgetting my tool belt...and the lion. I nodded slowly, eyes widening at the shock. "It was a mountain lion." I murmured.

I heard a sound in the threshold of the small room I was in, and looked up to see several Obas entering, one being Aria. I continued trying to sit up but Deja pushed me back down gently. "_Take it easy_." She signed. "_Hurt bad."_

Aria was by my side checking over my injuries. She nodded approvingly at Deja. "_Dressed well. Good job_." She turned to me. _"How do you feel? In pain?"_

"Not much. I'm just...glad to be alive." I answered, trying again to sit up. They allowed it, but I was almost bowled right over by a little mass of fur, and I winced at the pain it caused. I held my self up with one arm and looked down at the little ape child sitting on my lap, fretting over my face and hair and gazed into the blue irises of Haze. When he made eye contact he froze, and then wrapped his little arms around my neck and pushed his face into my nape, whimpering quietly.

"..Haze? What's wrong, little one?" I cooed, ignoring the pain as I adjusted my position to wrap both arms around his small body. He continued to cry and I shushed him gently and laid my chin on his tiny shoulder, closing my eyes as I consoled him. I drew little shapes into his back as the child trembled trying to control his tears.

"It's okay. It's gonna be okay." I cooed into his little ear. Haze sniffed and drew his face back, and I opened my eyes to meet his teary gaze with concerned sympathy. "_What's wrong?"_ I said and signed softly.

"_Friend got hurt_." He signed back, his tiny little lip trembling a bit. When I realized that his crying was due to my injury, I cooed in understanding.

"_I'm okay now. Obas make me better_." I signed back, giving the child a reassuring smile as I masked my discomfort for Haze's sake. My eyes were drawn up when I heard a tongue click, and Cornelia was suddenly crouching next to me, signing to Haze.

_"Off. Careful."_ Cornelia chided her child. Haze listened to her, gingerly stepping off me as if trying to avoid a land mine and sitting down next to me, staring at the leaf bandaging around my waist. I tried not to grimace as the wound throbbed painfully as I adjusted my position, drawing my right knee up a little. I was aware of another presence in the room and looked up to see Caesar and Blue Eyes standing in the doorway, waiting for Aria's permission to enter. When she consented, they stepped inside. I watched as they assessed my health, and suddenly became fully aware of the remains of my shirt. It had already been ripped up from the mountain lion's claws, but the apes seemed to have ripped the stomach covering parts right off to make sure the wound was treated well. My shirt was now little more than a bandoe with sleeves.

Caesar moved to my other side, his oldest following to crouch near me. He looked me in the eye. "_Do you know what attacked you?"_

"_Mountain lion_." I answered, my mind conjuring up the image of the big cat's bright eyes going glassy and blank.

"_They are rare. You are lucky to be alive_." He signed, eyeing me, watching my reactions.

I sighed and nodded. "I know."

"_Why did you go by yourself?"_ The king questioned.

"I didn't want to slow anyone down" I replied. "I don't want to be anymore of a burden to any of you than I already am."

_"Not bur-"_ Blue Eyes stopped abruptly when he caught Caesar's eye, and dropped his hands.

The ape king turned back to me. "_Be more careful next time_." He advised lightly. I was surprised, I had been preparing for him to rebuke me, and all I got was that?

Haze let out a squeak to draw our attention to him, and when he had it his little hands signed. "_Not Rain's fault. Bad cat hurt Rain_." He glared up at his father defiantly, seeming to feel Caesar was being harsh with me. I had to fight back a smile at the young child's eagerness to defend me, and it was even harder when I remembered how he had referred to me as his friend.

Caesar smiled and let out a breath of laughter through his nose as he gazed fondly at his young child. _"I know, son."_

Haze nodded to himself importantly in a 'you better' kind of way before climbing up my arm and clinging with his little feet to my shoulder and arm, and he started combing fingers through my hair and scalp. At first I was confused at the child's actions when I realized, he was grooming me. I knew grooming was conducted between friends and family, to form and strengthen bonds between apes and I was immensely happy and flattered. After a short time he slid down into my lap and I caught him mid slide to position him away from my left side, and then let him sit. Haze seemed to understand why I had done this and scooted even farther to the right as he looked up at me.

"_Rain pretty_." He signed. I 'awed' at his cuteness and signed back, "_Thank you. Haze handsome."_

He giggled and tugged on his ear, leaning back a little onto my up-lifted knee before rocking upright again in a toddler-ish display of bashfulness. He then reached up and placed his hand my nose, and I played our game with him until Cornelia told him it was time for him to go to lessons. He protested, saying he didn't want to leave yet, and wouldn't budge until Cornelia promised to take him back to visit me again later. With that deal made, Haze wrapped his arms around my neck again and squeezed tightly. I smiled and hugged him back, and when he pulled away he signed. "_Bye. Stay away from cats!_" With that he leaped to Cornelia who seemed to see it coming and caught him easily, and took their leave, Haze still waving to me over his mother's shoulder. I giggled and waved back until he was out of sight, which didn't take long.

I smiled after them, but it faltered when my side twitched painfully, and I cupped the bandaging, muttering a little, "Ow."

Aria stepped foreword with a bark plate that smelt of herbs. She crouched where Cornelia had been and carefully unwrapped the dressings. When she peeled back the final layer of leaf, I was relieved to see no redness, so signs of infection. She scooped up some of the plant poultice and started slathering it to my side, all the while I was sitting there biting my lip and trying to hold back my urge to flinch away from the touch as the juices stung at me. As I watched, I realized something, and stopped her when she went to re-wrap the bandage-like leaves.

"I need to do something. Can someone bring my back? From the hollow?" I asked her, hoping I wouldn't irritate her. But the aging female just seemed intrigued and turned to sign at the male Oba in the room. He nodded at her and left, returning a few minutes later carrying my little backpack. I thanked him when he handed it to me. I fished through it, pulling out a little white box, seeing the familiar Red Cross on it. I opened it and looked through it until I found what I was looking for, a needle and thread. I sighed and looked around, seeing a stick that had fallen out of the wall of the hut and reached for it. Aria grabbed it with her longer arms and handed it to me, giving me a questioning look. I thanked her and started sterilizing the needle with rubbing alcohol. When it was ready, i took a deep breath and stood up, when I wobbled on my knees, Blue Eyes was there to steady me, all the while urging me to get off my feet with everyone else.

I convinced them to help me to the wall. I leaned on a sturdy beam near the fire and looked down at my wound, glad that most of Aria's poultice had soaked in to the wound, and I felt it was enough to cleanse it. I took the stick and placed it in between my teeth as I threaded the needle. God this is gonna hurt. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and was happy when my hands didn't tremble. I then started the process of stitching each slash mark shut. I furrowed my brow and whimpered at the pain, the stick muffling the sounds. Soon I tied off the end of the first stitched slash, and when the needle was away from my body I took the stick out of my mouth and sucked in air quickly as I had been holding my breath, too worried I'd mess up if I moved. I did not want to cry. When I calmed down, I clenched the stick between my teeth and began on the next slash, stitching the wound shut slowly. This process repeated itself twice more. By the end of the treatment, I was panting. I gazed down at the stitches, glad that they were dissolvable, so I wouldn't have to worry about taking them out again.

"Can someone pass me that?" I asked, pointing to the first aid kit. The male Oba grabbed it and dropped it in my waiting grasp, and I pulled out some linen bandages and a roll of medical tape. I wrapped my sore waist and taped it in place, and put the supplies back in the white box. I slid down against the beam and onto my butt, wincing and spreading my left leg out to relieve some of the pain. "That sucked." I muttered to myself.

_"Why did you do this?"_ Deja asked.

"Stitches. Helps wounds like this heal faster. Easier to keep it clean too." I explained. Aria had been watching closely the entire time, and grazed a finger over the bandaging. She nodded to herself and started signing.

"_I have seen this done before_."

I didn't bother to ask where, not sure I really wanted to hear the answer. It gave me a bad feeling in my stomach to think of possibilities, so I kept quiet.

"_Off your feet. Still need rest. Humans delicate_." Aria signed, helping me to the moss bed.

"I'm not delicate." I complained. Aria raised a brow at me in a comical 'Really?' look. I bit my lip and cast my eyes to the side before meeting her gaze again. "I'm not." I pouted.

She chuckled and made a dramatic display of getting to her feet, groaning like she was twice as old as she was. She started to leave, nodding to the king and prince and beckoning for the male Oba to follow her. Caesar and Blue Eyes moved closer to my bed now, sitting beside me on each side. "_Humans are so weird._" Blue Eyes signed.

I grinned and laughed lightly, then stopped with a wince, laying a hand over my bandages. But I replied with a smile, "I know." My smile faded when I realized I had forgotten to do something important. I held Blue Eyes's glacial gaze and signed to him.

"_Thank you_."

He gave me a look. "_For calling you weird?"_

I smiled and shook my head. "For saving me."

"_What? I did nothing. It was dead when I got there_." He had an almost shameful look in his eye.

"Because of you. If you hadn't made me take that spear with me, I'd be dead right now." I explained.

His brows lifted, and I could see a smile tugging at his lips, though he tried to hide it. _"How did you kill it?"_

I looked down at my hands in my lap, recalling the event. "I didn't do anything really. It tackled me and landed on the spear tip." I felt a sadness sprinkle over me at the thought of the beautiful creature's demise.

"_Why the sad face?"_ Blue Eyes asked.

I shrugged. "I'm kind of sad it's dead. But then again it's probably a good thing. I don't know."

"_Humans really are weird_." He shook his head with a little sigh. I smiled again and held back a giggle, and seen Caesar smiling amusedly.

"_You were brave. Get some rest_." Caesar took his leave. Blue Eyes got up to follow but I reached out and grabbed his wrist. He stiffened and froze. After a moment he turned to look at me and I glanced down before meeting his gaze again.

"I don't...I don't want to be alone. Please don't leave yet." I asked, for some reason feeling a bit awkward about it, a and I tried not to squirm when I realized I hadn't yet let go of his wrist. I didn't know what it was that had caused me to do this, it was just a sudden feeling of loneliness that hit me like a pebble filled wave, and the idea of being left alone caused a cold pit of fear in my stomach. The contact with Blue Eyes made that fear go away with his warmth, but I realized that it probably made the young ape uncomfortable, so I released him from my hold. I sighed and hugged my right knee, not meeting his blue gaze as I stared at the soft floor underneath me.

I heard nothing, but when I glanced up I seen Blue Eyes sitting down, waiting for my next action. _"Sorry.."_ I couldn't help but sign.

He shook his head. "It's fine." I then remembered that he hadn't eaten yesterday, and I was afraid he still hadn't had anything. I asked him about it, and earned a strange look.

"_What is it with you and my eating habits?"_ He seemed to be trying to lighten the mood.

I gave him a small smile. "I know what its like to go hungry. It's not fun." Truthfully I didn't want to go into detail about it, I would get carried away and would sound all sappy and girly. He was my friend and I didn't want him to know suffering of any kind, though I knew that was ultimately out of my control.

He smiled back and nodded. "_The answer to your question is yes_."

_"Good."_ I signed.

"_I'm sorry I wasn't there. You wouldn't be hurt if I had listened to my gut and gone with you_." He signed, the air suddenly going tense. "_You must have been terrified."_

I sucked in a slow breath, and let it out in a slow sigh, nodding to his assumption. "I was. I knew I was being hunted. But it wasn't your fault. I was the idiot who insisted on going alone."

"_Still, I should have followed you_." He seemed to regret saying that afterwards. I guess he didn't want to come off as a creeper.

"Then you would be the one hurt right now." I pointed out.

"_Better me than you_." He didn't get the same embarrassed, almost shameful look in his eye like his last sentence, but stared at me with stubborn, almost angry looking determination to not change his mind. I stared at him with surprise. Better he than I? Surely he didn't mean that. _But what if he did?_ A little voice inside my head said. I wished the voice would go away, I didn't want false hope. I didn't want to get hurt.

_"What's that?"_ Blue Eyes said, looking at something near the ground. I glanced down and my brows lifted in a mild show of surprise. By the backpack, was a photograph. I picked it up and looked down at it, lips parted but void of emotion. I was aware of Blue Eyes moving to my shoulder to see, and stared down at it with me. Smiling back at us was my mother, brother and myself. It was the morning Dax and I had left to come here, my mom's stomach bulging with my unborn sibling as we all smiled happily, having no way of knowing that this would be our last moment together as a family.

"My family..." I whispered.

I was aware of Blue Eyes's glance at me. "_You have a sister?"_

I smiled and giggled a little at his assumption and I shook my head. "That's my mother. She was young when she had Dax. And then three years later she had me. And then..." I trailed off as my eyes burned, thinking about the little baby I never got to meet. I looked at my wide smile, the smile that believed everything was going to be fine, ignorant, stupid girl. I sighed and passed the picture to Blue Eyes. I couldn't look at that day anymore. But I was still reminiscing, so I reached for the backpack (it had been tossed nearer to my moss cot) and dug through it again. At the bottom, I found a plastic bag full of photographs.

Taking a soothing breath, I opened it and reached in and grasped one of the paper thin memories in my fingers. What I pulled out brought a smile to my face. I seen myself, crouched down hugging a harlequin Great Dane dog, who sat with his jaw resting on top of my head, his lips pulled into a smile as he panted. It was taken just a few months ago. The dog was a stray, but he was a sweet dog. Dax had taken the picture for me.

"_What is that?"_ Blue Eyes signed to me. I was reminded then that he had been raised in the forest, and the closest thing to a dog would be a wolf, and they looked nothing like Great Danes at first glance.

"It's a dog." I answered.

"Dog?" He asked. Oh god there's that voice. It was husky and deep and youthful and oh my god. That voice could get me to do anything.

"They're like wolves. This is just a big breed of dog." I tried to explain. Blue Eyes just shrugged and shook his head, and I could see the look on his face. Humans are weird.

With that, I set it down and pulled out another picture. My mom was standing on the living room floor, her stomach flat, not yet harboring her third child. She had white paint on her face, two lines on her cheek bones, and three dots underneath them, along with her full bottom lip painted black. A younger me sat in front of her, odd eyes closed as she painted a thick dark stripe over my eyes and nose bridge. I looked on at how similar our hair was. Long, straight strands fell elegantly over our shoulders and down our backs, like a smooth flowing waterfall. The only difference between my mother and I had been the colors of our hair, her's being a beautiful coffee bean black, while mine was a dark river of chocolaty earthen colors. A few strands of hair had been braided at random, on each of us, as well as a few colorful beads had been woven into our hair. I remembered fondly of the clinking sound they made. My mother and I had done this often, as well as Dax, though he never let us put beads in his hair. I remembered when his hair had fallen down to his shoulder blades, before he cut it on a whim. I missed playing with it.

It was days like the ones in this picture that held my fondest memories, from years ago. My mother would have her days off from work and Dax and I would rush to finish our schoolwork so we could relax with Mom, conversing in Cherokee. On days like this, after she had painted us and done up our hair (half heatedly complaining about not being able to weave in feathers like she and her mother had done), she would teach us new things about our culture and history. Dax and I soaked it all up like sponges. After a while of this, she would make us tea, and dunk in dollops of honey and then we would all retreat to the living room, and watch movies we had all seen thousands of times in a nest of blankets and pillows and anything soft and cuddly we could find. I smiled and tasted salt from the tear that had escaped my eye. I took a deep, cleansing breath and put the photo down. I had almost forgotten that Blue Eyes was here but was quickly reminded of his presence when I felt his warm breath on my neck as he looked down at the photos.

"_I'm sorry_..." He signed, seeming at a loss for words.

I shook my head. "Don't be." I took another deep breath, fending off more tears. "I just...I can't believe that they're all gone now."

There was a moment of silence when all I wanted to do was jump back in time and give my brother one last hug, kiss my mothers cheek one last time, make sure they knew how much I loved them. I felt a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. The pressure on my tense muscles felt phenomenal as the stress was massaged right out, and I let my head loll to the the side, giving a small sound of pleasure. The hand froze, but then continued it's lovely ministrations. Too soon, the hand retracted and I rolled my neck and shoulders, a content smile on my face.

"_Thank you_." I signed to Blue Eyes.

He didn't respond right away, though I was fine with just looking into those sky colored hues. They always held so much emotion, though much of it I could see he tried to hide, locked away. The look in those pretty eyes had me wondering, what color were my eyes? I don't fully know what happened after that, but the rest of the day, and much of the night, was spent talking and laughing, sharing funny memories from our childhoods with each other. I showed him my camera and showed him how it worked, and we even took a few pictures with each other, goofing around as much as my stitches would allow. Now, I could look back on this as one of my favorite moments. This is the day that I finally let my self fully accept, _fuck I totally have a crush on him._


	11. Chapter 11

My little bird- 11

-one month later- 

My wounds have healed fabulously, as Brent said. Brent is the male Oba that had been helping Deja treat me. He was still learning, but he was good at healing, and that's what mattered. He was nice, and had a good sense of humor, Dax would have liked him. My stitches had dissolved into my skin and I was left with four scars raked into my midriff, the first and shortest one riding the ridge of my hipbone. It no longer gave me pain unless I moved too quickly, though Aria insisted that I stay in the healing hut until i was completely free of pain, no matter how much I complained. I wasn't allowed to do anything strenuous, i.e run, jog, so I wasn't allowed to go anywhere much now. I hadn't been able to climb in weeks and I was itching to use my limbs, but every time Aria assesses me, she says I'm not ready yet. I'm starting to feel a bit babied.

Though Aria did allow me to go out to gather fruits with Blue Eyes, as long as he promised to move slowly. I was surprised when she came up with the idea, but I think she caught on at how tired I am of just sitting around. So, at this moment, I was busy plucking fat blackberries from their respective branches, while Blue Eyes was up in an apple tree a few feet away, gathering the ripest fruits at the top branches. I sighed and internally grumbled over my jealousy. I wanted to be up there too, I loved the feeling of being suspended in the air, knowing I could rely on the tree's strength, but of course, I couldn't risk re-opening my wounds. Just as I thought that, a dull thump sounded just behind me. I looked back to see Blue Eyes walking forward, his arms struggling to cradle too many apples.

I giggled as they tumbled from him and onto my shoulders to roll across the grass. I caught one and smiled up at him amusedly as he stood there looking embarrassed. He mutely apologized and I forgave him, turning to help him pick up the lost apples and placed them in a separate basket we had brought along. At one point, we both reached for the same fruit and we both froze when our fingers overlapped one another's, and I looked up into Blue Eyes' cerulean gaze. His eyes were wide, as were mine, as we both seemed to stop breathing. My my cheeks felt warm as my heart started thumping in my chest. We both seemed to snap out of our daze when two squirrels leaped noisily into the branches above our heads, Blue Eyes broke eye contact as he cleared his throat and awkwardly removed his hand from atop mine, and we both avoided eye contact while returning to the task of picking up the discarded apples.

The awkwardness didn't last long until we both reached forward and simultaneously bonked our heads together. He grunted and I let out a little "oh!" as we retracted and placed a hand on our foreheads. Blue Eyes and I locked eyes again and this time, we both started laughing. I giggled as I rubbed the soreness from my head.

"_Aria will have my hide for that_." Blue Eyes signed, still chuckling.

I let out another giggle and stood up from where I had been crouching in front of the blackberry bush. "Come on, let's get back to the village before one of us breaks a bone." I exaggerated jokingly. He tittered and picked up the full apple basket and I toted my berry basket as we started the trek. But when Blue Eyes suddenly stopped, confusion scrunching up his face, I turned to question him. But before I could form the words, the earth under my feet started to shake.

"Whoa.." I muttered as the shaking caused me to stagger. "Blue Eyes?" I said, worry and fear heightening my voice as I looked to the sky eyed ape.

"Earthquake!" He growled, dropping the apple basket. I felt something move under my feet, but it was different from the tremors coursing through the earth, and I gasped when a thundering sound erupted from the soil under my feet. My eyes darted to Blue Eyes' and he took a step toward me before the earth split from under my feet, and my stomach dropped as I fell. A frightened cry tore from my throat, but it ended in a pained grunt as I landed after about eight feet. Pain ached in my side hotly as my back collided with the hard ground, and I gasped as the air was forced from me.

I was left to curl myself into a ball as the earth around me trembled and shook violently and loudly. My heart violently beat against my rib cage in fear as I covered my ears and head as I cowered. The shaking seemed to drag on and on, I having no way of knowing just how much time had passed, it could have been thirty seconds, or it could have been thirty minutes. But by the time everything silenced, the rocks around me weren't the only thing left shaken. I slowly unfurled myself and looked up to see Blue Eyes peeking down the hole, barking loudly until I called out his name.

"Are you, hurt?" He called down.

"No. Just bruised." I answered, looking at my surroundings as I heard my voice echo. It was dark, I couldn't see anything but I heard a loud rumbling noise, and I wondered if it was the sounds of the quake reverberating off the walls. It was cold, and I wrapped my arms around myself, looking back up at Blue Eyes. He was pacing the perimeter of the hole above me, eyes darting down to me then back in the direction of the village. I started trying to listen to my environment, suddenly fearing this cave was occupied as my midriff throbbed with soreness.

"Blue Eyes?" I called up, his head looked down a second after my beckon. "I'm scared."

My friend stared down at me for a long series of seconds, and I could see the look in his eyes that he got whenever he was in thought. Then, with another glance at the colony, Blue Eyes jumped down the hole and landed beside me, dusting rising up in his wake.

"Blue Eyes! What are you doing? Now we're both stuck down here!" I gasped in surprise. I immediately regretted raising my voice as I heard my panicked tones echo, and glanced around in fear of some unknown predator following the sounds of my distress. My right hand rose up to hold a strand of my hair as I nibbled on my bottom lip worriedly.

Blue Eyes grunted softly and pulled my wrist away from my hair and forced me to look into his eyes. "We are. Going to be. Fine. I promise." He whispered. Dear god his voice is deep even when he's whispering. _I wonder if he knows how his voice affects me?_ A little voice in the back of my head inquired.

I stared into Blue Eyes' namesakes and saw no deceit in those pretty pools. "How are we going to get out?" I glanced around, and was surprised to see much more than I initially had. The cave was rounded, and I could see a tunnel leading into the darkness. "What do you think is down there?" I whispered.

Blue Eyes followed my gaze. "Where?"

"Down that tunnel." I pointed to the area. Couldn't he see it? His eyes drifted around the darkness, but then his eyes seemed to adjust and he squinted at the tunnel.

"_Fresh air coming from it._" He signed. Blue Eyes crouched down and started tearing a piece off the woven basket I had dropped during my fall, and then shuffled around for something. He found a broken piece of rock that was long and narrow. I then realized what he was doing as he started shredding the fibers of the basket piece. I helped him secure it on one end of the rock and then searched for two stones (didn't take long) and I started striking them together over the makeshift torch until a spark caught in the tinders. I dipped my head down as a little trail of smoke rose up and a crackling sound could be heard, and started blowing air onto the spark. It soon became a flame and I picked the torch up as it glowed to life.

It illuminated the cave, and I held it toward the tunnel, though the fires light didn't penetrate through the tunnel. Blue Eyes moved forward, holding his arm out halfway to tell me to keep close but behind him. I didn't need to be told twice. He cautiously approached the mouth of the tunnel and I could hear him sniffing every few seconds. After a moment he gave the okay and we advanced further into the darkness, and I was very glad of Blue Eyes' cleverness with the torch. We followed the tunnel silently, and I was surprised when it didn't take any turns or get narrower or something like that. The thundering noise hadn't stopped and I asked Blue Eyes if he heard it too.

He nodded. "_It's coming from down this way_." He signed. I sighed as we kept trudging on through the damp cave, looking back every now and then, expecting to see eyes shining back at me, but thankfully nothing was there. At least nothing I could see.

I heard a rushing sound as well as the thundering grew closer. We soon stepped into another cavern, and I gasped with surprise. To the left was a tall waterfall. The ceiling rose up about eleven feet and water fell from a fracture in the wall in narrow sheets. All along the wide walls, there was a dull glowing substance, moss, from the looks of it. A few stalactites and stalagmites littered the floor and ceiling here and there, and in three areas, the two rock formations met in the middle, like starved hourglasses. The waterfall flowed into a small lagoon, and a stream was carved into the rock, leading out into another tunnel. I could smell the water and rock now, and I turned in a circle as I took everything in.

"Wow..." I breathed as I finished my inquisitive three sixty. "What is this place?" I asked Blue Eyes, thinking that maybe the apes had been here before. But the handsome primate shrugged his shoulders, looking around in wide eyed awe.

"I have never. Seen this place, before." He answered.

"It's beautiful." I said to myself as I gazed at the waterfall. Before any more could happen, a gust of cold wind blew in from the tunnel in front of us, and the torch's flames flickered and died, and darkness seeped around us. I immediately gasped, freaked out as chills traveled down my spine from the cold.

"Blue Eyes?" I didn't get an answer, but I felt something brush against my forearm, causing me to squeak and flinch in fright. "Blue Eyes, where are you?" I whimpered, afraid of being in the dark damp cavern alone. The touch returned again, but this time I could identify the large hand of my friend, and breathed out his name in relief. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I blinked, surprised when I could see actually very well. Blue Eyes stood barely two inches away, his hand holding my wrist delicately, as if afraid he'd break my arm if he held on any tighter, though I doubted he would have any trouble fracturing my bones if he wanted to. My eyes met his and I knew he had the same sudden change in vision, as we were bathed in a faint bluish green light. I looked up and seen its source, the algae like substance on the walls let out a brighter glow now that the firelight was no longer there to outshine it.

"Cool." I commented, when I glanced at the waterfall again, I let out a happy gasp at my new discovery. Behind the icy liquid the rocky wall was slathered with the glowing algae, and it emitted a strong blue and green glow, shimmering through the falls and reflecting off the lagoon.

"We should. Keep moving." Blue Eyes said distractedly. When I glanced at him he was looking down, confused and a little disappointed, I consented.

"What about the torch?" I said, glancing at where I had dropped it.

"Don't need it. I can. Smell grass. We are close." He shook his head. Taking one more glance at the torch, I decided to trust Blue Eyes and follow him. When we reached the mouth of the tunnel, I realized something that might not be a bad thing to speak up about.

"Um, Blue Eyes? I don't know if this is a huge issue, but...there's no glowing wall gunk down there." I said, feeling another cold shiver travel down my back. He huffed, and in the light shone on us by the algae, I could see him glancing from me to the tunnel. I watched as Blue Eyes reached out, hesitating for a moment before I felt his fingers curl around mine. I felt an inner jolt vibrate my bones at the contact, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up, as well as my cheeks heated up a good amount, neither results from fear.

"You'll see the. Sky again, soon. Little Bird. Hold on." He murmured, and I could feel his breath on my nose. I felt a small tug at my lips at the use of the little nickname, he had been using it often and every time the words left his lips I got this fuzzy feeling in my stomach and my heart picked up the pace a bit. But I was reminded of the situation we were in when I blinked, and I took a little breath to calm myself and nodded, squeezing his fingers.

"Okay."

I felt him tug me along, keeping me just behind him but close enough to feel the heat radiating from him, and I felt comforted. As long as I was with Blue Eyes, I knew I would be safe. I started thinking about how close we had grown during the month long span of my being here. I had learned a lot about him, including that he was a thinker, he had a temper, and often masked what he was feeling. But he had a sweet side to him too, I thought, remembering the time he had gone way out of his way to make a nice toy for Haze, who had loved it, and rained kisses and hugs down all over his brother's face before jumping to show me what his big brother did. Blue Eyes had a great sense of humor too. (one of my favorite things about him) He also had a knack for causing those girly, teenage thoughts in my brain, without even knowing it, that quality I was still conflicted with.

I was taken from my reverie when I noticed a light shining on the left wall a few feet away. Sunlight. I held tightly to Blue Eyes' fingers and hurried my steps a bit more, so now I was walking beside him. We both rounded the corner and hurried out, and I was happy to see a blue sky above my head, and beneath my feet was ankle high soft grass. We had come out of a small cave entrance carved into an overhang in a mountain ridge. Before us stood a little valley nestled in between two mountain ridges, the stream that flowed from the waterfall winding into the grasses. I smiled at the beauty of the scene. I could see a weeping willow tree down by the stream, as well as a few oak trees dotted the area.

"Do you know where we are now?" I asked Blue Eyes as we continued stepping forward, gazing around the landscape. When I received no answer I turned to look at my friend, who already had his face turned in my direction.

"Blue?" But his head had snapped down and I turned, trying to see what he had been looking at over my shoulder, but seen nothing but a flower patch. He began to lift his arms, but froze, and I soon knew why. Our hands were still holding onto each other, and we stared down at our fingers. Honestly I didn't want to let go, I liked the rough-ish feel on his hand around mine, it made me feel protected and warm. But all good things must come to end, sadly, and we slowly let go of each other.

_"What did you say?"_ He signed at me after a few seconds of silence.

"Do you know where we are?" I repeated myself as my cheeks warmed up in a delayed reaction to what had just occurred.

Blue Eyes shook his head. "_Let me get a better view_." He signed before making his way toward an oak tree. I sighed and petted my scar with a finger, wishing it would heal faster so I could climb again. I turned toward the ridge to my right and my brain tracked out a map, and I quickly climbed it, knowing it wasn't a strenuous climb and all I had to do was walk. When I got to the top, I realized that Blue Eyes' trek to the tree was unneeded, seeing as I could see the village from here, just a half mile away. I stayed up there, enjoying the view of the forest, taking in the actual size of the ape home. I marveled at how well I could see from here, I could even make out the bridges that were built in front of the waterfall in the village, and even apes moving over them. I turned back to the little valley when I heard a calling hoot, and waved my arm at Blue Eyes, calling his name so he would see me from where he stood, searching for me in the grasses. When his eyes found me, he quickly made his way over, already scolding me for climbing the rocks.

_"You could of slipped and reopened your wounds. What am I supposed to do with a bleeding Rain when we're lost out..."_ He trailed off when I reached out and turned his face from me to the view in front of us with my index and middle finger to his jaw. I gave him a smirk as I seen his facial expression; surprise.

"I'm sure you would of figured something out." My smirk could be heard in my voice. I felt pretty smug about finding the way back before him.

He huffed and glanced at me, and my smirk widened. "_Let's get moving_." He signed and hopped over the crest of the ridge, turning around to offer his hand. I took it and again felt the same jolt course through me at the contact, but i forced myself to hop over the crest and act as though nothing happened. Blue Eyes helped me down the side of the rocky mountain, and I was glad when my wound didn't slow me down. We reached the forest floor in around fifteen minutes, and started the slow trek through the woods, Blue Eyes refusing to let me climb so we could move faster through the trees, much to my annoyance. Stubborn ape.

It was approaching sun down when we made it back to the village, and we were swarmed by a group of apes. Deja was by my side, examining my midriff. "Are you okay? Are you in pain?" I then remembered the earthquake that had lead to my discovery of the glowing cavern.

I shook my head at her question. "I'm okay."

After I answered Deja, Caesar pushed through the crowd, his sharp green eyes scanning over Blue Eyes and I. "Are, you. Hurt?" He questioned, though I knew it was mostly directed towards his son. Blue Eyes nodded with an affirmative grunt, signing, "_We're fine_."

Caesar's gaze shifted to me, and I seen him glance down at my scar. I met his gaze, waiting for him to say something but all he did was turn back to Blue Eyes. "Go to your mother. She is worried." Blue Eyes nodded and glanced at me, and an unspoken message passed between us. Don't say anything. With that, the prince left in the direction of his home. Caesar dispersed the remaining apes and Deja lead me to the healing hut. I looked around as I made my way through the village after the young bonobo, searching for any damage the quake might have caused to the ape home, but could see nothing but a few shaken individuals. I was relieved no one seemed to have gotten hurt, but I wouldn't know for sure until we reached the healing hut.

I was glad to find most rooms empty as Deja led me back to my own accommodations. I sighed and sat down on my moss cot. "_Do I really have to keep sleeping here? I'm fine_." I signed at her. Deja's eyes crinkled above her orange mask as she smiled at me.

"_Yes. Until Aria says different_." She signed back, shrugging.

Just as the young Oba finished signing, Aria entered the room, followed by Brent. Deja inclined her head respectfully and greeted them both. They returned the gesture and turned to me. Aria started examining me and hooted when her eyes fell on something on my left love handle.

"_You are bruised_." She signed, eyeing me suspiciously.

I twisted around, and over my shoulder I seen a light purple bruise tattooing my skin, a souvenir from my cavern discovering fall. I smiled apologetically at the head Oba. "I lost my balance during the quake. I fell against a boulder." I said, quickly coming up with a cover story, though I felt bad for lying to them, they were my friends and had been good to me, an outsider. Aria kept her piercing green eyes on me, and for a moment I thought she could see through my facade, though I didn't let it show.

"_You can go back to the hollow tonight_." Aria signed suddenly. My brows raised in surprise.

"Really?"

The middle aged Oba nodded. "_If the wound can stand a fall hard enough to cause this_," she indicated to my new bruise. "_I don't see why it can't stand a night without supervision. You had no pain when walking back?"_ She added.

I shook my head no at her question. "I can climb again?" I asked.

She sighed in an amused, 'you give an inch, they take a mile' kind of way. But she nodded. "_But take it easy. Take it slow. Wound could still reopen_." She cautioned. I nodded, and with that, she made her departure.

I looked up at Deja and Brent, who shared a glance before looking down at me as well. "What?" I asked. Brent elbowed Deja and she left the room. I raised a brow in question, but all Brent said was, "_We have a surprise for you_."

"Me?" I asked, shocked.

"_No, for the rock beside you_." Brent signed sarcastically, grinning from under his yellow mask.

"What did you-" I stopped when Deja walked in with a mass of greenish plant life in her arms, struggling under the weight. Brent saw her distress, and took the pile from the small bonobo.

"Follow us." Deja signed, walking out of the room with Brent on her heals.

Curiosity swirling within me, I followed the two Obas. Deja fell in step beside me as Brent led the way. We ascended the steps to the Tree and Brent ducked inside my hollow, Deja and I following quickly. Brent was in the far corner of the room doing something with the bundle, and Deja and I lit one fire pit aflame, as well as the lamps hanging down. By the time we done with our illuminating tasks, Brent had hooked the plant life up with hooks shoved into the wood like thumbtacks to drywall, and it was revealed for what it was; a hammock. A smile split my face as I looked at the weave-work put into the hammock, and ran my fingers over the fibers.

"You did this for me?" I asked, not looking up.

"Rain is kind. Rain deserves, comfort." Deja said, and the softness of her voice betrayed her youth. I turned to face my two friends.

"_You like it?_" Brent signed.

I nodded, smiling brightly. "I love it. Thank you so much!" I fought the urge to hug them, knowing it might not be a regular thing for them. But I needn't of worried, for Deja wasted no more time in throwing her arms around me, and I gladly returned the embrace. She then pulled Brent into the hug and we stood like that for a few more seconds before pulling apart, the young Obas' eyes crinkled under their masks as we all grinned at each other.

"_We're glad you like it._" Deja signed.

"This is too kind, I don't know how to thank you." I said, trying to express my gratitude.

"_You're our friend, we're happy to_." Brent signed, and I again thanked them.

"_Let's get you something to put down in that_." Deja signed. I smiled my gratitude and together we set about making a comfortable mattress. The base was made up of soft, squishy moss, and Brent went to retrieve an especially thick fur for me to use as a blanket. I couldn't get over how surprised and happy and grateful I was at this gesture, and I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time, like I was wanted. Wanted by someone who didn't share my blood.

"Is it okay if I get a few smaller furs? I'd like to make a few pillows." I asked. They exchanged a glance and nodded with a shrug of their shoulders. "Oh, and I'll also need a small bone." With that, Brent went to get the furs I requested, and Deja went with me to scrounge up the things I'd need to make a needle and thread out of. We met up back in my hollow and I got to work, letting them watch as I stitched up a pillow case, leaving one end open. When that was done, I stuffed it full of soft moss and stitched up the opening. When that was done, I fluffed it up and passed it to Deja and she examined it carefully, while Brent leaned over and studied the stitching. I explained what it was used for as Brent then started looking at the needle I had carved out of a fish bone with my little knife that I had taken with me in my backpack, warning him to be careful of the sharp point.

I started on a second when Deja glanced outside the vine curtain. "_Dinner is starting_." She said. I placed my work down and followed the Obas out of my hollow and we separated to our respective areas, I going to the food table. I was nervous, I didn't pick up the food by myself much, but I didn't have to worry for long, because I soon felt a weight fall onto my shoulders, literally. I glanced to the side to see little Haze panting and laughing at his games as he watched me fill my stone plate. I heard a tongue click followed by a slightly irritated sigh, and turned to see Blue Eyes walking up, looking at Haze.

"_Careful. Don't hurt her_." He signed at his younger sibling. Haze's face suddenly widened and he looked down at me.

"_Haze hurt Rain?"_ He signed, looking afraid. I cooed comfortingly at him and signed at him.

"_No. Brother just wants you to be careful, that's all_." I explained.

"_Rain not hurt?"_ He eyed me with an almost sad look, and I was in half a right mind to scold Blue Eyes for causing the expression on the child's face.

"_No. Rain happy_." I signed back with a smile. Haze let out a cheerful series of hoots and hugged my head, one of his arms going over my eye, giving me a pirate's point of view. Haze moved to my other side after his hug and signed,_ "Haze happy too."_

I smiled and finished making my plate. With that, I followed Blue Eyes up to the overhang where his family ate. I sat down on the log beside Cornelia and Haze leapt from my shoulders to hers, Cornelia never even batting an eye, completely used to her youngest's behaviors. Blue Eyes sat on the ground in front of me, but no conversation took place between us. I finished my food quickly but neatly, plucking up morsels popping them into my mouth. I watched the sky as the sun started to set, mesmerized by the colors in the clouds.

I wondered, staring up at a puffy, orange drenched cloud, if Dax liked where he was now. I've been having weird dreams lately. Sometimes they were all about Dax, I'd relive moments we'd had together as children, other times it would be new things, like Dax taking me to a sleepover party with faces I didn't know. Sometimes they wouldn't be about Dax at all, but some stranger and a baby. There was a man, holding a baby girl swaddled in a pink blanket, the man cooed and sung nursery rhymes to the child, but by the time I woke up, I could never remember the man's face. I often woke up in groggy frustration whenever I failed to recall the man's features.

By the time dinner was over, I was thoroughly wrapped up in my own mind. I bid Caesar's family goodnight and made my way back to my hollow, wanting to finish making my second pillow. Once inside the protective privacy of the vine curtains, I sat myself down criss-cross on the comfy hammock and felt it swing as I picked up my unfinished work. After a few minutes of silent sewing, I heard a grunt followed by a shadow over the vine wall. "Rain?" A voice called.

Shivers traveled down my back and butterflies erupted into being in my stomach as I recognized the fantastic voice of Blue Eyes. I forced my facade to remain calm and collected. "Yes?" I called, inviting him in.

Blue Eyes' form entered and approached slowly, looking into the fire pit for a moment before looking up and meeting my gaze. But his eyes were soon drawn to the hammock underneath me, and he tilted his head questioningly at me.

"Deja and Brent made it for me. Isn't it nice? I really like it." I filled him in, placed a hand down and pushing it into the warm softness beneath me. He stared at it for a long moment before nodding at me.

_"That was kind of them."_ He signed. "_What are you doing?"_ He added, eyeing the half done pillowcase in my lap.

"Pillows. They're comfortable to sleep on. See?" I passed him my previously finished one. He held it in his hands, staring down at it with a curious frown on his face. He tossed it back to me and I put it back at the head of the hammock. Blue Eyes came closer and held something out to me. I looked at his hand for a moment, and my brows raised in surprise at what I say there. A blue and white string bracelet hung from his long fingers, my anklet. My eyes widened in surprise as I looked down at where it normally resided on my right ankle, and seen it gone.

"My anklet!" I gasped in surprise. "I didn't even know it was gone. Thank you so much! I don't know what I would've done if I lost it." I breathed as I took it from his grasp. Our fingers brushed, and I felt a strange static move through my fingers. I pushed the feeling to the back of my mind as I gazed down at the anklet my mother had made for me. I never took it off. Dax had had one too, though his was green and black, and like me, he never took it off. Now I realized he would be wearing the string around his wrist forever, as he rested in his grave. I did my best to banish the sadness that threatened to take me.

"_Mother found it by the place you were sitting_." Blue Eyes said.

"How did it even get off my foot?" I wondered out loud as I retied the anklet around my ankle. When I looked up, Blue Eyes had moved closer and was letting his hand roam the hammock, his fingers grazing over the thick fur blanket. The chimp glanced up and then back down, then doing a double take when our eyes met again. His brow raised slightly and I noticed his lips part a little as well, causing me to tilt my head in confusion.

"What?"

He jumped slightly, as if startled out of thought, and looked down and away. I felt my cheeks heat up, and I had to focus my thoughts on counting the crackles from the fire to cool down my face before re-acknowledging that Blue Eyes was here.

"Blue Eyes? What is it?" I asked, suddenly concerned about the masked look on his face as he stared down at the moss bed I used to sleep on. He drew in a quick breath and looked up at me, as if he had forgotten I was there, and I gazed into his aquamarine orbs, waiting for his next action. He shook his head, clearing whatever thoughts that had his attention away.

"_Nothing, I just came to give that back to you_." He signed, turning to leave.

"Oh. Well, goodnight." I said as he walked to the vines separating me from the colony. Blue Eyes turned to look at me before he left, but I couldn't read his face through the mask he donned. His eyes softened for a moment and he lifted his hands.

"_Goodnight, little Bird_." With that, he slipped through the hanging vegetation.

-the next day-

I was currently with a band of apes, who had gone out to collect things to create their paints. Some came from minerals in rocks, so right now, I was by the cliffs collecting certain stones with Maurice the orangutan. I could faintly hear the river rapids as I collected and placed stones into a woven basket, which was quickly filling up. I glanced over at where sentries were posted, keeping watch for danger while we worked. Two of those sentries were Blue Eyes and Ash. I watched as Blue Eyes vigilantly gazed into the forest line, and an amused grin tugged at my lips as I watched Ash preparing to spook the prince. I looked back down at my work, but my head snapped up when I heard a high, tiny voiced shriek tear through the air. The day had been warm, and some females had allowed their children to accompany us, and now I seen what had happened from spying on two females signing with horror etched into my features.

"_Child has fallen over the edge!"_ Apes swarmed to the cliffs edge, hooting and shrieking, and I could hear the poor child's mother screaming and screeching and trying to jump in after her baby, but was held back by a two female gorillas, and even then the mother was frantically trying to climb over them. Apes couldn't swim, I knew. Fear for the small life filled me as I made a decision, throwing off my jacket, kicking off my shoes and shimmying out of my shirt before running toward the cliff, and jumping. I shaped my body in the air as my stomach dropped, keeping my legs straight and holding my breath. I hit the water with a cold shock. I was enveloped in the icy liquid before my body bobbed to the surface like a cork. I gasped in oxygen and started treading water, searching for the white ring of foam that marked the child's location.

I quickly found it, and swam for it. I took in a deep breath and dove under the water, searching for the little child as the water gave my eyes a strange sensation. I was shocked to see how well my vision was, given how murky I expected this water to be, but pushed the thought out of my mind as I seen a wet black bundle drifting downwards in the water, bubbles racing from its nose. I quickly kicked my legs through the coldness, and wrapped an arm around the ape child. The little bonobo wiggled frantically in my grasp, and I struggled to maintain a hold that would keep it secure in my arms without hurting it as I kicked to the surface of the water. My head broke through and I gasped in air, holding the child up to make sure his head was above the waves.

A strangled sound emerged from the child as he clung to me, seeming to be trying to shriek and breathe at the same time. I quickly circled around, looking for the shore, but didn't need to search for long, I only had to follow the screaming of the apes above me. I paddled and kicked awkwardly toward the riverbank trying desperately to keep the current from sweeping us into the rapids and our watery demise. By the time my knees and palms touched the pebbly bottom of the shore side, I had been thoroughly slapped and swallowed enough water to keep me quenched for the next two days while trying to tug the frightened, still flailing baby along. I coughed as I staggered to my feet and pulled the child up into my arms, trying to stop my shoulders from trembling as my joints ached from the cold.

I slumped down on my shins, working on the child until he coughed up blobs of water, and promptly proceeded to whimper and shiver as his hair clung to his body, having just had the fright of his short little life. I cooed and cradled him, trying desperately to warm him with the little body heat I myself still possessed. The child gazed up at me with frightened green eyes as his fingers locked tightly around my bra straps, almost pulling them down as the strings dug painfully into my shoulders. I ignored the discomfort and tried to reposition myself so I was wrapped up around the baby, trying to rub warmth into his fur as he trembled with the cold. I heard crashes in the tree line and fear plummeted my stomach, my first assumptions going to the memory of the bear that had attacked my brother all those weeks ago, but when I turned I seen apes rushing towards me. I braced myself, not knowing what a fear raddled mother would do if she found her waterlogged son in my arms.

I was swarmed by apes, a female orangutan plucking up the baby from me and I watched as he was passed, squeaking and and hooting to his mother. The bonobo had tears streaming down her face and she clutched her baby hard and hugged him to her chest, sobbing and kissing his head as the child tried to push himself even closer to his mother, if possible. A small smiled adorned my face for a moment, glad to see mother and son reunited before they were both swept away by the crowd out of my sight. Then some apes turned to me, though most were with the mother bonobo and her baby.

The air was filled with hooting and every here and there I could hear a bark or a pant. I shivered and moved some of the hair that clung to my face away. I was approached by a female gorilla and a few chimpanzees. The gorilla moved closer and sat down beside me, giving a nod in greeting, and started swiping her hands all over me. It took me a moment to realize she was trying to dry me off. All I could do was sit there as the apes silently patted me down, though I had no complaints, they were warm, and my bones felt like they were chattering. I was again approached by a chimpanzee, Rocket.

"_Why save ape child, human?"_ He signed. I felt surprised by that, not expecting a question like that, though I didn't let it show. I shook my head lightly.

"Ape, human, doesn't matter. Life is precious. I couldn't stand by and do nothing." I answered.

Rocket searched my face for a few moments as I sat there, shivering less and less, before he nodded to me and thanked me.

"Happy to help." I added before he walked away as the gorilla joined the chimps, running her fingers through my hair to help it dry.

The sound of fast approaching horses reached my ears, and I turned to see a group of apes riding up on horseback, Obas included. Most flocked to the mother bonobo and her baby, but one came to me with a fuzzy fur, Brent. He wrapped it around my shoulders as the gorilla backed off her ministrations on my hair, though the chimps kept up their work. The fur was warm, like a blanket and I tugged it closer to my chest. I looked up at movement in my vision and seen Blue Eyes riding up on his dark coffee black horse, tugging Zira along by the reins in one hand. He hopped down and moved toward me.

"_Are you okay?"_ He was hooting quickly, eyes searching me for injuries. It made me wonder who was the Oba here.

"I'm okay." I nodded at him, trying to control the chattering of my teeth.

_"Need to warm you up. Need dry_." Brent signed, coaxing me to my feet. I turned to the three chimps that had been drying my hair and thanked them, as well as the female gorilla, who stood nearby. I then let Blue Eyes and Brent herd me toward Zira. I had my hands on the horse, preparing to pull myself to her back when I felt a strong, warm grip around my waist hoist me into the air, and onto the horse. I let out a small, quiet whoop in surprise and looked down to see Blue Eyes quickly making his way around the dappled mare to his own horse. Brent rode up beside us and hooted, gesturing for us to move back to the village.

Blue Eyes handed Zira's reins to me and I took them into a hand, clutching the pelt to my body with the other as I clicked my tongue, beckoning for her to start walking. I have been working with Zira for a while with Lisa, and just recently had Aria very reluctantly allowed me to ride the mare. There was much caution and hesitance to let me ride her, for almost everyone else who had tried had been thrown. But I took my time with Zira, I got to know her, her tendencies, her dislikes, her warning signs, and the mare had allowed me to mount her back. Now, riding through the forest at a brisk walk, I only needed to give the subtlest of gestures for her to understand what I wanted.

It was a silent ride, aside from my still chattering teeth that I tried desperately to hide, clamping my teeth together. When we rode in, I swung myself fluidly down from Zira's back, inwardly wincing at the pain that pricked in my not yet completely healed wounds. Brent and Blue Eyes proceeded to herd me up to my hollow, not listening when I said I was fine, just cold. But Brent shook his head and signed, "_Could get sick. Need to dry you off and warm you up as fast as possible."_

But I protested, saying he should be focussing on that baby bonobo, not standing there treating me like one. He tittered and scrunched his brow up in seriousness behind his yellow mask. Once inside the vines, Blue Eyes went about lighting every fire pit and lamp available, and going back to check that they all glowed strongly. Brent on the other hand, nudged me to my new hammock and started examining my midriff, checking that my wounds were alright. With that, Brent took away the now very damp pelt that I had been wrapped in, and replaced it with the warm, fluffy one I slept in. I bundled it around myself and buried my nose the soft fur, closing my eyes and blowing hot air into the fur, warming up my numbed nose.

Blue Eyes was by Brent's side, gaze shifting between the Oba and I as he folded up the dampened fur and placed it by a fire out to dry. I don't know how he expects it to dry fast, folding it up like that. I couldn't help but think. Brent turned to Blue Eyes, a question in his eyes. A silent conversation seemed to pass between the males, and I could only watch as the older one lifted his hands to sign to his prince.

"_Go get her some food. Warm._" He said. There was hesitation in the young ape's stance, but he quickly departed. Brent turned to me. _"Focus on drying up. I'll be back soon."_ And with that, he too left the hollow.

Once the males were gone, I allowed the thick fur to drop, and hang around my elbows as I rubbed my hands together, breathing on them. I crossed my legs over one another as they hung down from the hammock, hoping they would transfer heat to one another. I hadn't realized how much feeling in my body I had lost, but now, I stopped to asses the locations of each cold-numbed ache. Hearing the crackle of the fire, I got up and made my way over, holding my still slightly shaking hands over the hot flames. I heard the swish of vines and looked up to see Blue Eyes standing with a wooden dish in his hands, his mouth hanging open slightly, eyes roaming over me. I blushed when I realized I was standing there in nothing but my black bra and shorts, as well as dripping hair that didn't do much to cover me.

"Blue?" I called softly, getting a little uncomfortable as his gaze continued to study me openly. The jump in his shoulders said I had startled him out of thought, and I refused to let myself take a guess on what those thoughts could be. He doesn't think of you like that. I chided myself. You're human. Blue Eyes' looked to the ground by the vine curtain, and the embarrassed look on his face made me wonder if he was thinking about bolting. But all the young ape did was walk forward, and set the wooden plate dish down, exposing elk meat there. I gazed down at the food with surprise. It was torn up into little pieces.

"You cut it..?" I asked curiously, picking up a little piece.

"_I can get something else. I thought you liked it like that_." He signed, his embarrassment hard to hide.

"Oh, no I do." I assured him. "I just..didn't know you knew." I proved my words by placing the morsel in my fingers into my mouth and chewing. "Thank you. That was really considerate of you." I added after I swallowed it.

He didn't answer. But soon he grunted and briskly walked past me. I followed him with my eyes as he grabbed the blanket from my hammock and moved toward me. I tried desperately not to blush as he crouched close behind me and draped it over my shoulders. He stood up and made his way out, stopping to sign, "_Think warm thoughts_." I giggled and finished the plate of food, feeling much warmer than before. Tugging the blanket closer to myself, I laid down on my hammock wondering where the smirk on Blue Eyes' face had come from.

-couple hours later, around late afternoon-

The vines that separated me from the village swished as Caesar made his departure. I pulled on my last shirt as I thought about the conversation that had just taken place with bewilderment. Caesar had come to ask me questions about my motives, and then some. Before he had left, he'd told me to be outside and with his son very soon, not giving me any reason for his strange request. Caesar had been acting a bit strange for the past few days, Blue Eyes and I both noticed it, though when I asked him about it, the ape prince claimed he didn't know why his father had been acting the way he had, he had also said that his mother hadn't told him anything either. I ran my fingers through my damp hair, wondering what was going to happen when I stepped outside.

I knew I couldn't delay forever, so I took a deep breath and stepped out into the sunlight. My eyes scanned the mass of dark furred bodies until my eyes landed on the familiar face of Blue Eyes by the foot of the great rock in the middle of the clearing. I made my way over to the ape and greeted my friend, though I kept my head inclined slightly. I'm not sure why, but something told me that I really should. Blue Eyes seemed to notice and gave me a questioning look. I shrugged and lifted my head, giving him a smile.

"_Caesar told me to meet with you. Do you know why?"_ I signed.

The handsome ape shook his head with a negatory grunt. "_He told me the same thing. Wonder what he's up to?"_

I shrugged, not knowing the answer. I glanced up as Caesar walked up from behind his son, but he didn't stop to converse, but kept walking up the rock. When he reached it's jutting peak, he let out a bellow, "Apes! Come, for meeting." His deep voice, not unlike his son's, echoed all throughout the village. Apes surged from all directions to get in ear shot as they gazed up at their leader. I cast Blue Eyes a bewildered look, but all he did was glare up confusedly at his father. I turned back and watched as he spoke and signed.

"_Human female has been among us for five weeks now. I ask for ape's opinion_."

My stomach plummeted at his words. I had been dreading this day, the day that I knew was bound to come sooner or later. I knew they weren't going to tolerate me for much longer. I watched as the apes stayed silent, and either looked at me, the ground, or at each other to sign. I fixed my gaze on the ground. Hours seemed to go by before I heard a little sound, but it soon raised in volume, a hooting sound. I followed the noise until my eyes fell on young Deja, her mask off and hanging around her neck.

"_Human is kind. Human has been compliant and has shown new medicinal herbs to Oba._" I was shocked that the first opinion to be voiced was not subjected to kicking me out, but I was even more so that it had been shy little Deja who had spoken first. "_She is my friend._" I heard several hoots call out, though I didn't know who they had come from or what they meant in this situation. I was also very touched that she had so publicly affiliated herself with me.

The next to call attention to herself was Lisa. "_Human tamed one of our most wild and stubborn horses. Since she has been working with it, the devil mare is easier handled, taking much trouble away from apes_." Lisa looked at me and nodded, a small smile decorating her face. I returned the smile and nodded back at her.

A small hoot called out, and close by, I seen a female bonobo. She stepped forward, but did not sign. Her green eyes were fixed on my odd hazel orbs as she moved forward, slowly but surely, placing one foot in front of the other. Her lips were parted slightly as she panted lightly. The female didn't stop until our chests were almost touching, and she lifted her arms in preparation to sign, but her fingers never moved.

"You, saved. My son. Because of you, I can. Hold. My baby. I can, watch. Him grow up. He. Can, play, with his friends. He can find. A mate. Because of you." The female struggled as her emotions threatened to take her voice. "Thank you." Her shoulders shook as a tear slid down her cheek. "Thank you. Thank you." I was stunned when the female pulled me into a tight embrace, shoulders trembling as she cried silently. I looked at her through my peripherals and slowly returned the hug. I closed my eyes and put my head down, fighting my own tears. I was overcome with the weight of this mothers happiness, and I couldn't help but wonder, would my mother have done the same thing, if given the chance? I didn't doubt it much.

It was a long while before she pulled back, and when she did, she kept her hands on my rib cage, not fully breaking the contact as she looked at me. I placed my hands on her arms, just above her elbows. "I'm happy your son is safe. I'm sure he'll grow up into a fine ape."

She gave a watery smile that only a mother could give, and sniffed, nodding her head. "Because of you." She repeated, and tugged herself off me. She made her retreat back into the crowd and I watched a few other females pat her back comfortingly.

I sniffed as well and collected myself from the touching moment. The apes were silent and watchful, some's heads flicked back and forth between I and the female, some watched me, and some watched Caesar. It seemed no one knew what to do after the intimate moment. The silence was broken by the attention grabbing call of Maurice, the orangutan. He waddled his large self forward to allow a better view of his signing.

"_Let's not forget, human killed a mountain lion. This means one less threat to apes, one less predators to compete with. Human has made forest a little safer_." The large ape finished with a grunt.

Suddenly, an outraged bellow tore the air. The apes parted like the Red Sea to reveal a scar covered bonobo, who immediately struck me as familiar. I then remembered him, he was there the day I had explained to Caesar what I needed to do at the dam, glaring menacingly at me. I didn't remember the name Caesar had called him by, but I recalled the fear and unease he had filled me with. Now the bonobo held the same slack jawed glare, though this time, it was directed at Caesar.

"_What are you doing? Why ape thank human? Human is useless! Waste ape food, waste ape medicine, waste ape time! Human bad for ape!"_ He growled defiantly up at the leader. Caesar saw the challenge, and puffed his chest out slightly, by instinct.

"You're opinion. Has. Been noted, Koba." Caesar said, his voice loud, demanding not only to be heard, but to be listened to. I held my breath, awaiting for the next event. Before the king could say or do anything else, a calling hoot grabbed the attention of the village and brought it to Aria. The middle aged chimp stepped forward and began to sign.

"_Koba wrong. When Koba see's human, he sees past humans, bad humans. This human different from all the rest. She is young, she is grateful, she is kind. Human and Koba not different. Humans have hurt this youngling. Humans have hurt Koba. This female was wounded gathering food for ape when earthquake hit, and she has been nothing but kind_." She dropped her hands, but she was not finished.

"This! Human, has saved! The life, of an ape today! She risked, her own life! So that, ape child. Could live!" She called out, her voice just as I had imagined it to be, smooth and ringing with good natured authority.

"_This human has skills of Oba. She teach Oba new uses for herbs. This female is different breed of human, one ape has never seen before. She is empathetic and wise for her young age, from her I have seen only good_." I heard a few resonating hoots sound among the crowd, and I desperately wished I knew what they meant.

Cornelia then joined in. "_I have watched this female for five weeks, and feel only fondness for her. My youngest son sees her, and does not see human, or ape. He sees a friend. Mothers, can you not see the same in your children?"_ Her question brought back a fond memory.

Haze had introduced me to his classmates. I remembered the day he had excitedly grabbed onto my fingers with one small hand and toddled over to one the platforms used to teach the children on day after class. I had had to bend down so Haze could keep his grip on me as he brought me to a group of children, sitting and standing, all staring up at me in wonder. I sat down on my shins, scanning my gaze over all the little faces with a warm smile. Haze quickly went over and grabbed a little girls wrist, tugging her over to me. She had been timid and scared at first, but Haze had coaxed her to calm down, reassuring her that I wasn't scary. I had waved and uttered a small, "Hello." before finger spelling my name out for her, keeping one hand on my chest as the other hand spelled. The familiar action had helped, and she did the same, spelling out her own name for me.

Soon this had happened with each of the children, and I was very aware of the apes watching me, but I made a point to ignore them and give all my attention to the little bundles of playfulness before me. Now, much of the time, the children would throw themselves onto my back, giving my head a few pats, and then leaping back to whoever they had been with prior whenever I walked by. On that first meeting, some females had moved forward and scooped their children up and away, not trusting me with their younglings, but as they watched how I interacted with them, they slowly let their children rejoin the group, all under the watchful eyes of many.

"_Our children_," The queen continued, "_have never seen the hate and hurt humans can bring, and I see no reason to believe that this young one will show them. She has heart of ape._" All I could do was stand there, stunned at how Aria and Cornelia had jumped to my defense.

_"She is human!"_ Koba signed. _"The only good human is a dead human!"_ With that, Koba started stalking towards me, glaring at me as if he could think of nothing better than to snap my neck. Fear filled me and I acted on instinct, I inclined my face and kept my gaze downwards, backing away slowly as the angered bonobo approached. I heard a few shrieks tear the air, but I didn't look up, too scared I'd be face to face with the scarred ape. I crouched, trying to make myself small, and submissive.

"Koba." Caesar's voice bellowed without seeming to yell. A grunt followed the name and I glanced up quickly to see I couldn't see the bonobo, just the tensed back of Blue Eyes in front of me. I tried to look between his feet, but I seen nothing, no sign of the aggressive male. Blue Eyes backed away, and I could see Koba's form leaving, followed by a small portion of the group. I supposed he wasn't in the mood to challenge his leader.

"I called you here, to hear what. You think of this girl." Caesar said, acting like nothing had happened. I stayed crouched, not ready to stand in case I caught a glimpse of the scarred bonobo. "_And have heard good things. Human girl, does not act like, human. Human eats with ape, human sleeps like ape, human climbs like ape, human can speak like ape. Human, has no living family. Human is alone. Human has no one. Ape has given, her shelter, for this long. My council, and I have, been thinking. About this, for long time. Human, will be given, permanent home. With ape. If she, wishes_." He signed and spoke.

My heart skipped a beat. Or three. I couldn't believe my ears, and I gazed wide eyed up at the ape king. Was he serious? I held my breath, hope and joy and disbelief battling within me. He can't be serious. Can he? The idea of staying, among these wonderful creatures, filled me with elation. I thought back to my moods during my stay here, and could think of no reason to even consider saying no. Since I've been here, I had been happy, pleasantly surprised, full bellied, and I had been treated with kindness, fairness, and empathy. That was more than I could say for living in the city. Only my family had made me feel those emotions.

The crowd had gone silent, and my happy feelings started draining, they weren't saying anything. Did they want me? I wouldn't blame them if they didn't, there's not much to want is there? I looked down at my feet, silently judging myself. My attention was drawn away from my self loathing by an echoing hoot. The ape hooted again, and my eyes fixed on who it was, Maurice. Soon, Luca joined in, then Blue Eyes, Lisa, then Deja and Brent, Aria and Cornelia, and soon, a cacophony of ape cries echoed through the village, and drowned out the drone of the waterfall. I slowly rose to my feet, looking around in awe as some drummed their fists on the ground to a slow rhythmic beat.

The rise of a hand from Caesar was all it took to silence them just as fast as it had started. Then Caesar addressed the crowd once more. "Blue Eyes, will. Teach her, to live with. Ape. Apes. Together. Strong!" He raised a fist in the air, and the whole crowd repeated the last three words, through the booming, deeply resonating voice of many. Blue Eyes then guided me up the rock, and kneeled down before his father, head bowed and hand raised, palm upturned. All it took was a glanced through his peripherals to get me to do the same. I soon felt Caesar's slightly callused palm graze over mine, and I dropped my hand. Blue Eyes and I stood up, and the crowd started dispersing. My heart was beating a million times a second, and my head was swimming almost euphorically. These apes had just given me something I've been in desperate need of, someplace to call home.

Caesar waved us away and we started down the rock and toward the Tree. We didn't get far before a little mass of black fur bowled into my legs. I looked down and met the green gaze of a baby bonobo. Something struck as familiar and I let out a happy gasp when I recognized the child as the one I had saved from drowning. I crouched down and rested my knees on the ground and smiled at him.

"Hi, good to see you again." I greeted with a smile. I was glad that the child was out and about, it showed no real damage had come to him from his fall, and he smiled up at me with an almost dreamy expression. Unlike the first time I had interacted with him, he was completely silent. I seen a pair of feet walk up behind him and looked up to see his mother, her face now dry of tears. I gave her a smile and nodded in greeting, rising to my feet so we could see eye to eye.

"He seems all better now." I commented on her son.

The female nodded and gazed down at the child at her feet as he turned to her and held his hands up, wanting to be picked up. The mother bent down and scooped her child up, giving his damp little head a kiss before nodding at me. "Yes." She said quietly, gazing back down at the baby as he nuzzled his mother. "He's perfect."

I smiled at the touching scene. "My name is Rain." I said, realizing I hadn't introduced myself yet.

"Heloise." She said. "I once heard, that, humans. Have more. Than one. Name. What are your, others?" She refrained from signing, seeing as she didn't want to take an arm away from her child.

My brows lifted a little and my head quirked slightly. "You want to know my full name?" I asked. The female nodded with a grunt.

"Raina Elizabeth Harley." I paused slightly after each word, finger spelling the names out as I spoke.

"H-Harley..." She repeated. I nodded. Heloise looked down at her child, then at me.

"My son. Does not have, a name. Yet. I would, like to. Name him. Harley, after you." She said.

I gasp in shocked surprise, and hesitated before speaking. "You want to...name him after me?"

Heloise nodded. "He owes. His life, to you. I have been. Struggling. To find a name. That fits him. I want, his name. To be. Special."

I gazed down at the little child, and smiled, nodding slightly. "I'm honored." It was all could think of that showed my appreciation.

Heloise reached an arm out, and placed her hand on my shoulder. "You. Brought. My son back. I can. Never thank. You enough."

I shook my head slightly. "You don't need to. I'm just happy to see that he is safe and okay. That's all the reward I need."

Heloise smiled at me. "You are. Good, human." She said, before her hand traveled from my shoulder, up my neck and to my jaw, pulling me towards her. Our foreheads touched and I stood there, knowing this was a sentimental gesture that held great meaning to apes, and Heloise pulled back a few seconds later. She nodded goodbye and a smile struck my face when I seen young Harley waving bye-bye. I waved back and turned to Blue Eyes, who had watched the entire exchange silently. His eyes searched my face before he let me see a soft smile transform his features pleasantly. I returned the look and we continued toward the Tree.

We talked inside my hollow, on the ground next to the fire until dinner time. I was very surprised and I couldn't help but be bewildered with how many smiles I got during the communal supper, but I returned each appreciated one. But for every two good looks, there was a scowl. That was better than it could have been, but it still left me uneasy. How would the apes who didn't want me react? I didn't get enough time to think about it, as I was too busy caught up in a game with Haze and Blue Eyes after our plates were cleared. I couldn't get over how delighted it made me that I had even been offered a place among the apes, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from making the most out of this fantastic, too-good-to-be-true turn in my luck.


	12. Chapter 12

My little Bird- 12

-two weeks later-

My life has made an enormous change since my last day in the city. Instead of waking up on an old, slightly creaky bed in a moldy room, I woke up on a squishy, comfy hammock filled with moss and thick furs and soft pillows. And instead of trudging through post-plague high school five days out of the week I was out playing with children, talking with Blue Eyes, and Ash, helping Lisa out with the horses, or in the healing hut listening in on the Obas lectures given to the apprentices. And instead of hoping a new shipment of food would be delivered soon so I wouldn't have to conserve so much at every meal, I could eat with Caesar's family.

Haze and Harley have been introduced, and now they're best of friends. They did everything they could together, which included finding out who could get into more mischief. It's a tie. My life with the colony has been wonderful, but I'm still at a bit of a delicate stage. Blue Eyes has been teaching me how to read ape body language, as well as helping me understand the apes more modified ways of signing, and I think my awareness has been helpful in getting the part of the colony that wasn't as fond of me won over. Though I still got looks filled with disdain and annoyance, though I tried to listen to Lisa's advice and not let it get to me. _Nobody likes everybody_, as she said. Not a bad saying either.

My wardrobe has been altered too, more suited for living in the wilds. I still have the outfits I brought along, but I've made new ones too. On the warmer days, I had a shirt that exposed the skin on my belly button, my scars peeked out from under the hem, as well as a doe skin dress that made me feel like Pocahontas. I had also made a pair of pants (with a little more difficulty) that ended at my ankles. Somehow, I even fashioned a pair of ankle high moccasin boots. Don't ask how, it took time and practice and a boat load of patience. For colder days, I had another pair of pants, and a jacket, though I had yet to perfect the warmth sealing parts of sewing jackets and preferred to use the jacket I had brought with me. I liked how I looked, I felt like I was really living like my ancestors. You know, if Cherokees lived with four different species of ape.

The clothes were comfortable and easy to move in and I found that they helped me blend in with the forest surprisingly well. Speaking of blending, Maurice had asked me during breakfast this morning if I could show how my bow worked. I quickly agreed, happy to be reunited with my favorite piece of craftsmanship. So now, I was at the horse pasture, whistling for Zira so we could get into the woods. The gorgeous mare trotted up and I opened the gate, taking hold of the reins hanging under her head. The reins were made out of elk hide, braided together several times to strengthen the ropes. She nickered in greeting and I rubbed her neck in return.

"Hey girl. Ready to head out?" I said to her as she leaned her head foreword, lips flicking at my nose. I gave her a quick kiss between her nostrils as I lead her to a rock that I often used to mount her. She knew the drill and I didn't need to gesture for her to stay as I climbed up the rock. I climbed onto her back and guided her toward where Blue Eyes, Caesar, Maurice and Rocket were waiting, mounting steeds of their own, with three extra horses with them. I nodded in greeting and noticed my bow in Maurice's hand as well as my quiver but I said nothing. I would let them decide when they wanted me to demonstrate.

We rode out of the village and quickly down the slopes leading up to the village. I had to keep my hold on Zira taut, for I could feel how much she wanted to gallop at full speed. Zira could get easily excited, and she loved to run. She could never have been a race horse, she was too strongly built, but given the opportunity, she would fly. I slowed her to a brisk walk as we reached the foot of the slopes, patting her neck to try and calm her down. Though she stayed at my desired pace, she lifted her hooves high at each step with her impatience. Zira grew annoyed with the slow, steadiness of our traveling and reached her head out to nip at the hind quarters of Rocket's mare. The horse let out a surprised yelp and both the horses' ears turned backward.

"Zira." I made the warning clear in my voice and maneuvered her away from the targeted equine. I reached my palm out towards Rocket, keeping my head inclined as my eyes glanced toward him every few seconds. Rocket swiped my palm with a grunt and when I lifted my head, I seen no grudge in his eyes. We continued through the forest until we reached a stream sheltered by a protective line of oaks. The apes dismounted, and I followed suit, tying Zira to a low hanging tree branch close to the water so she could drink if she wished.

I followed silently as Caesar lead us quietly through the trees. "_We hunt now_." He signed.

I kept my senses heightened as we traveled slowly. Birds sung in the canopy, flitting to and fro without a care in the world. I dropped my gaze to the ground and searched for signs of game trails. I soon found what I was looking for, five inch, two nailed hoof prints. I let out a small noise, not loud enough to alert any potential prey of our presence, but enough to get the apes' attention. I crouched down while signing, "_Found something_." I examined the tracks and found they were pretty fresh, and I listened to the forest as the apes came to see what I had discovered. I soon heard the sound I had been expecting. Almost sixty feet away, I could hear a buck grunting. I signed to them, and Caesar gave the okay to move in closer. Maurice chose to stay back farther, for his size and color would stand out in the woods, so he handed me my bow and I placed it in the soil as I carefully synched the belt on my quiver, careful to mute the sounds of the metal clasps. I quickly but silently caught up to the advancing apes, careful not to brush up against any plants or step on any twigs. That would be embarrassing.

When we were at the tree line facing the small, grassy glade the buck was in, still grunting, Caesar nodded at me. I took a deep, silent breath. _Time to make it or break it_, I thought. I stood slowly, using the shade of a tree to cover me as I strung an arrow. I adjusted my stance as I pulled the arrow back to my cheek, barely straining against the taut bowstring. I took aim, and drew in a breath before closing my eyes to clear my mind. I had to make this shot. I opened my eyes and let the arrow fly. It fizzed through the air and straight into the bucks neck, severing its spinal cord and causing the animal to drop dead without a sound. I lowered my bow and looked to Caesar, awaiting his appraisal. His sharp green gaze stared at the dark lump that rose up from the grass as his index finger rested on his chin, and I recognized a similar gleam in his eye to the one I seen in Blue Eyes whenever he was thinking about something.

Caesar's eyes met mine and he gave a nod. His attention went to gesturing at Blue Eyes. The prince gave a nod and walked out to collect the prey item. He heaved the deer onto his shoulders and I was again given another display of the prince's hidden strength as he made his way back with the buck on his back. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't small either, and I probably wouldn't have been able to lift its shoulders up very far. I tried not to stare. Caesar gestured at Blue Eyes to bring it to Maurice, and he quickly followed the order.

The orangutan took up the prey and ambled off in the direction of the glade. Caesar turned to me. "_Good work. We will see how well you do next. Go with Blue Eyes and be back with the horses when the sun starts moving downwards._" I nodded and Blue Eyes and I shared a glance to acknowledge the silent agreement between us.

Caesar and Rocket turned away with their spears and went up into the forest canopy. I took a deep breath, feeling relieved to have the watchful eye of the older apes off me. Blue Eyes and I shared another glance before he nodded toward in a new direction. I followed close behind the chimp, keeping my eyes out for any more signs of prey. This wasn't a full scale hunt, it was mostly meant for smaller kills, deer at the largest. So as we made our way through the tree trunks, I kept an arrow loosely strung in front of me.

After a quarter mile Blue Eyes stopped and held out a hand, telling me to freeze. I followed his gaze and seen two bucks grazing. We exchanged a glance and we both knew what the other was thinking. _You take the left, I'll take the right_. Blue Eyes silently climbed into a tree and I watched him creep through the foliage to get a better throwing angle with his spear. I moved forward as well and ducked against the tree to the right of the one the prince was in. We had to time this well, or we'd end up loosing one or both of our potential kills. I looked up into the tree and could scarcely see Blue Eyes's dark form among the leaves but I soon picked out his light hued eyes among the greenery, staring right back at me.

"_Count to ten before you shoot_." He signed. "_One, two, three_..." He started us off in sync. I continued the count in my head as I lined up my shot. At seven I sucked in a soothing breath and let it out on nine. On ten, I let the arrow fly. At the same time, above me a dark streak accompanied the arrow in the sky before they both took up residency in each of the bucks. Mine had gone through the back of the neck, as the animal had had it's back to me, and like the first it crumpled in a dead heap. Blue Eyes's spear went right through the other buck's throat, and I watched it twitch and struggle for a moment before it went completely still. Blue Eyes dropped from the tree beside me and we shared another glance before walking foreword.

"Nice throw." I commented as we approached the kills. I gazed at the antlers on the one my arrow stuck out of and deemed it had been older then the one beside it. Then I realized our mistake. "How are we going to get them back to the horses?"

It wouldn't be a good idea to take them back one at a time, a scavenger could come and take over the kill. But apparently Blue Eyes didn't have the same worries as me, and bent down to remove the spear from his kill before hoisting it up onto a single shoulder. He looked all lopsided for a moment before he had a little difficulty getting the other up onto the opposite shoulder with one arm. What the actual fuck. Fur could really hide muscle mass, couldn't it? I quickly closed my mouth when I felt my jaw going slack from amazement. Dear god I hope he didn't see that. He seemed to of not seen it, (thank god) as he was already walking back the way we came through the forest. I picked up his blood tipped spear from the ground and quickly followed, trying not to watch his upper back flex as he moved. I stopped a few times to pierce an arrow through the neck of a rabbit or a fat squirrel.

Maurice looked up from where he was sitting when he heard us enter the glade. He made a bit of a surprised sound when he seen the two deer on both of Blue Eyes' shoulders. He got up and ambled over to relieve the prince's load, and placed it next to the other whitetail buck I had caught where it lie on the ground. Blue Eyes dropped the last deer beside the others and gestured for me to place my three other little catches with the others. Maurice looked at the catches and nodded approvingly. I looked to Blue Eyes as he started signing.

"_Looks like we're a little early. Might as well stay here until father and Rocket get back_."

I glanced up, and seen the sun had moved down from its original place in the middle of the sky slightly. I nodded to Blue Eyes and went to go check up on Zira, hoping she hadn't tried to nip at any more horses. She hadn't, and was lazily grazing by the stream bank. I gave her a pat as I passed and decided to climb a large oak tree nearby. I pulled myself up among the branches until I found myself in a sun washed nook in the branches, and reclined comfortably with my back against the trunk. I closed my eyes and let the sun warm my skin as I listened to the sounds of the forest.

Below me, I could hear the sounds of the horses hooves kicking pebbles into the stream with a crack and splash every now and then, as well as the

swish of a flicking tail from time to time. But the sound I was really focusing on was above my head. I listened to the birds as they sung and called to one another. I soon found myself whistling back at them, and made a game of singing back and forth with them. I peeked an eye open when I heard a branch move, but my attention was caught by a little blue bird that landed on a small branch near my face, and I blamed the recent disturbance on an investigative squirrel. The bird chirped, and I reproduced the sound. It tweeted, and I made a whistle of my own.

I gazed at the small creature as it hopped closer to my face, and I lifted a hand, offering up the perch with what I hoped was a welcoming coo. The bird's head bobbed sideways for a moment before it hopped onto my side turned index finger with another tweet. I chirped back and gave a small. "Nice to meet you." The bird's neckline was decorated with an orange feathered necklace that flashed and glowed in the sunlight. It whistled once more before it fluttered up into the canopy, startled by another disturbance in the branches. I was a bit alarmed, that was the second unknown noise from the same direction. My mind instantly thought, _cougar_. My scars tingled slightly at the memory and a hand subconsciously moved to trace one of the slash marks left by the lion's claws.

My oddball eyes scanned the foliage for any sign of potential danger but I seen nothing. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was there, and stared intently into the green leaves. I startled when a squirrel burst through the leaves after an acorn. The squirrel chittered at me irritatedly and moved back into the branches. I let out a relieved sigh and giggled a bit at my silly paranoia. A frightened cry escaped my throat when a thud sounded above me, followed by a burst of cute, breathy laughter by someone who was not me. I looked up to see Blue Eyes climbing down from where he had landed on a thick branch above my head.

"_Didn't mean to scare you_." He signed, still smiling with his amusement.

I laughed again at my skittishness and shook my head lightly at him. "You gotta learn to stop being so quiet when your not hunting. One of these days I'll have a heart attack." I joked.

"_Then Aria really will hang my head up on her wall_." He played along, his shoulders moving up and down as more bubbly but deep laughter escaped him.

I huffed out a laugh but it quieted when the blue bird from before came back and landed on the knee that I had pulled up toward my chest. It chirped loudly at me with a high, shrill call, and I mimicked the whistle before the little blue bird zipped off into the sky. I watched it until it's feathers blended in with the cloudy blue sky with a smile before turning back to my friend. Really he was more like my best friend at this point.

"_A bird who speaks to birds_.." He signed, with an unidentifiable emotion in his eyes. The closest I could find to naming it was as a content-ness of some sort. Whatever it was it made a light blush color my cheeks pink and I glanced down. But my eyes were missing his, so I stared back up into that pretty glacial gaze with a small smile. A smile softened his own features as well as he returned my gaze, and butterflies started doing acrobatic acts in my tummy as my heart thrummed in my chest not unlike that of my newfound feathered friend.

An ape's calling bark interrupted the moment and we blinked as the something-like-comfortable atmosphere dissipated around us. Hiding my disappointment, I gave a smile and a shrug to Blue Eyes before moving down a few branches before jumping down to the ground. I seen Caesar and Rocket with Maurice, adding more kills to the prey heap. With that, Rocket and Maurice began loading the three bucks onto the horses, while Blue Eyes, Caesar and I began placing the smaller prey items into a buckskin bag. With that, I untied Zira from the tree and mounted her, though she seemed annoyed to be moving away from the sweet grass. I patted her neck as she pranced in place, trying to throw her head.

"Easy. It's not like there's not anymore grass back at home." I tutted the animal. She tossed her head and let out an annoyed sound from her chest as her ears were turned back. I quickly gained my control and guided her toward the rest, who were waiting for Maurice to finish tying down the buckskin bag onto his horse. With that, the orangutan mounted his horse and turned it in the direction of home.

On the way back, Maurice was questioning me about the bow. I answered every inquiry willingly, holding nothing back. I explained that I'd made it, as well as the arrows. I told him how I'd made it, what I'd used, how long it took, it actually took me a handful of tries to get it right. The first one had been spindly and useless, the second looked well enough but it's bowstring was messed up. The third, and fourth also had complications that deemed them unusable, but the fifth had worked wonderfully. My quill was built from a whicker wood frame with waterproofed leather stretched and sewed over it, and then attached to a belt. The arrows were by far the hardest things to make, at least in the city. Here in the forest I doubted there would be much problem, and I said as much. Feathers were hard to come by in the city.

I already knew I'd be demonstrating the building process to them by the way Maurice paid close attention to everything I said about it, and I think he knew I knew. So I put in another two cents to the subject, speaking off the mind about how we'd have to lengthen the bow to accommodate for the longer arms of apes. So me and Maurice carried out the half silent discussion about the matter for the rest of the way home. When I knew we'd be approaching the Gates soon, another thought came to mind.

"Are you going to want the bow back when we get there?" I asked, before reaching up to take the bow off my back.

But Maurice shook his head and raised a hand, silently telling me to keep it. "_It is yours_." My lips parted in a moment of stunned silence, but they soon stretched into a grateful smile.

"_Thank you_." I signed. He nodded with a small smile of his own and patted my shoulder.

The top of the Gates were in sight now but some strange feeling caused me to look to my left. I seen a path stamped out into the earth, leading to what looked to me to be rows of over turned, dark colored soil. I eased Zira to a stop and asked, not taking my eyes off the patch in the ground, "What's that?"

I heard the other horses come to a stop with an irritated huff out of one. I glanced over when I seen Caesar steer his horse towards me to see what I was looking at. He gazed down the path and shrugged. _"Gardens. Crops."_ He signed.

"That's so cool, I thought all the veggies were wild grown." I couldn't stop the comment anymore than I could stop the admiring smile from stretching my lips as I gazed at the well-tilled ground.

"_Not perfected yet. Come, let's go home_." Caesar dismissed my amazement at the accomplishment and nudged his horse back into a walk toward the village walls. I took one more glance down the path before silently instructing Zira to follow. Within minutes we reached the village, and I was greeted with the comforting sights of my new home.

I steered Zira toward the horse pasture and hopped off onto the same rock I got onto her back with and lead her to the gate to the field, opening it for the horse. She stopped with her nose just outside the barrier and I could see her eye looking at me. I gave her a small smile.

"Go on." I nodded encouragingly into the field.

She blew air into my face and nickered when I blew air right back into her nose before complying and slowly stepping inside the barrier. Zira kept her head level with her sturdy chest as she walked on, not grazing, her tail lowered more than normal.

"Oh come on. Don't look so sad." I called.

She turned her head and motored her lips at me. I sighed and opened the gate, stepping inside the field. Zira perked up and turned back to me, sniffing at me curiously. I reached up and patted her neck. Zira pushed her head into my shoulder, pushing me back a few steps, so I reached out and pushed her head away. She gave me a shove and then pranced a few feet away with a playful whinny. I laughed as I regained my balance.

"So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" I called as I jogged after the beautiful mare. She pranced in a circle around me, nickering and pushing her nose into me. I laughed and started running into the field, listening as Zira let an indignant neigh. I stopped and watched her toss her head before dashing towards me. I laughed and ran, though the horse soon caught up to me. We played like this for a while, before I tripped and fell, laughing, into the grass near the gate. Zira nickered loudly before lowering her head to sniff at my face, her strong exhale blowing some hair out of my face. I giggled and reached up, holding the dappled mare's face in my small hands. She nuzzled my forehead lightly before her head shot up, one ear perked forward, the other flipped backward. I propped myself up on my elbows and turned to see what had caught the fire spirited horse's attention. There stood Blue Eyes, leaning his forearms on the wooden fence, watching me.

I let out a breathless, "Hi." I watched a small smile tug on his lips as he lifted his hands to sign.

"_What are you doing?_" He asked.

"Playing." I answered with a smile, sitting up and getting to my feet. Zira took two steps foreword, so her chest was pressed against my back. I was forced to take a step foreword. But she didn't stop there, Zira then used her body to herd me to her other side, she nuzzled my shoulder fondly before turning and snorting at Blue Eyes, ears turned back. She then nickered at me and starting acting all sweet.

"What was _that_, Zee?" I asked the horse as I made my way under the elegant arch of her neck to face my friend again. Zira let out an annoyed huff and repeated her actions, this time herding me even farther from the fence. That's when I realized that she was trying to keep me from Blue Eyes, and I immediately did what any other normal person would do. I started gushing at the cuteness of her wanting me to herself and rained down pats and scratches and kisses as I cooed at her. The big softy soaked up all the attention and reciprocated it with nuzzles.

"Can't have me all to yourself though." I added, giving her one last kiss on her broad silvery splotched cheek. I again passed under her neck and made my way to the fence so she couldn't move me anymore unless she decided to try to push me through the wood. I kept my eye on her, suddenly suspicious of whether or not she'd actually do that.

"_Humans are weird_." Blue Eyes signed, shaking his head as though I was an unteachable puppy. I smiled.

"I know." I answered.

_"What even started that?"_ I assumed he was talking about what led up to my antics with the mare.

"Zira looked kind of sad so I wanted to cheer her up." I smiled, glancing back at where said horse hovered a few feet away, looking for the ideal patch of grass to mow down. I decided now was the time to leave the pasture and put some space between me and some of the yearling stallions who kept roughhousing with each other. I glanced back and bit my lip once outside the fence, I wasn't worried about them messing with Zira, I was worried about Zira putting them into their places. But I decided to leave the horses to their horse thing and return with Blue Eyes toward the Home Tree.

We chatted idly on the way back until both Blue Eyes and I received a spook when Ash suddenly swung down from one of the out-jutting timbers that bordered the sides of the village walls to grab onto each of our shoulders. Blue Eyes glared irritatedly at his honorary cousin and Ash beamed back. I liked the relationship they had, they reminded me of something familiar, though I don't know just what, but it was something pleasant, and seeing them up to their usual antics made me smile. I made it back to the courtyard by Home Tree while watching the two brotherly friends bicker back and forth with each other, sometimes shoving the other's shoulder playfully through a mask of indignation. *cough* Blue Eyes *cough* I was distracted by two furry balls of playfulness jumping onto me. Haze clung to my front while Harley occupied my shoulders.

"Hi, boys. What have you been up to today?" I greeted my favorite little troublemakers.

They both chorused in a sound that I knew meant they were trying to say, "Nothing!" Most of little ones have been getting more and more verbal and talkative. Much more than the oldest apes, many still had trouble with verbal speaking but were wonderful signers, and chose to stick to speaking with their hands.

"_What happened when you went hunting?"_ Haze signed as best he could while hanging onto me as I walked. I lifted my arms up to cradle him so he didn't have to hang on. The children learned to sign very quickly, i learned very soon in my stay with them that ape children learn much quicker than human children. I felt a strange sense of pride knowing that, though I didn't know exactly where it came from.

"Oh, nothing much." I shrugged, letting Harley play with my hair.

"_Tell us more! Tell us more!_." Harley panted excitedly as he signed.

"It was a small hunt. It was for small game, not like elk." I answered.

_"Well, what did you catch?"_ Haze signed, not at all phased by my dismissiveness.

"Just a few deer and rabbits with a squirrel." I answered simply. "Someday you two will be catching much better things than that when you're older." I added.

_"I'm going to be the best hunter ever!"_ Harley signed, a wide smile on his face.

_"No you won't! I will!"_ Haze signed up at his friend, glaring up at Harley's perch on my shoulder.

Harley shook his little head stubbornly. "_No. You be best fighter_." This quickly quieted Haze's complaints and they started chatting up at each other like no disagreement had ever taken place. I was pretty impressed at the maturity and honesty Harley possessed at his young age. I could see the beginnings of a long friendship between the two, and was happy I would be able to witness it. My thoughts were broken when I heard a beckoning hoot followed by my name. I turned my head to look for the source and my eyes quickly found the orange masked face of Deja. I smiled in greeting and nodded at her before giving my attention to the two younglings hitching a ride on me.

"Haze, Harley." I whispered excitedly. The tone of my voice immediately get their attention and they ducked their heads close to my face. I whispered a little suggestive plan into their ears and nodded toward Blue Eyes and Ash with a smirk. The two boys grinned in an adorably devious sort of way and I crouched down to allow them silent departure from my body. I watched as they slunk foreword and climbed silently up a large boulder. They hid from the still bickering chimps and when they walked just under the boulder, Haze and Harley jumped down and onto Blue Eyes's and Ash's head before clambering all over them. The surprise attack made the older males loose their balance and Ash grabbed Blue Eyes on his way down, and they all fell to the ground with surprised, incredulous cries. I giggled at the thought of their sore egos. I had to get Ash back for that spook earlier, as well as the near heart attack Blue Eyes almost gave me in the forest today, so this was a good form of karma.

Deja laughed quietly as she joined me, watching the little ones pester the boys. "Hi, Deja." I said.

"_Hi. Aria asked me to go help out in the gardens. do you want to come?_" She invited. I smiled widely and nodded.

"I'd love to!" I was excited to get to go look at what the apes could grow.

She lead me out of the village, passing the boys on our way, who were still struggling with Haze and Harley. They paused for a moment to watch us pass, and Harley signed energetically. _"Got them! Told you I be best hunter!"_

I smiled widely at the small bonobo. _"Good job!"_ Haze jumped off of Ash's head and onto the ground, stopping only around three feet away from the boys.

_"Where Rain going?"_ He looked up at me with an almost sad expression. I internally 'awed' at his cuteness.

_"With Deja. I'll see you at dinner, okay?"_ I signed, giving him a reassuring smile. Haze hurried foreword and clambered up me to squeeze my neck tightly. I hugged him back and when he pulled back I set him down and nudged him back toward Blue Eyes, Ash and Harley. He rejoined his friend and Haze and Harley waved goodbye to me as I turned with Deja back toward the exit of the village.

We explained to the gorilla guard what we were doing on the way out before Deja led me down the slope and I spied the fresh hoof prints in the ground, and distractedly wondered which ones were Zira's. In a short amount of time, we reached the path I had seen earlier and this time, my curiosity was indulged as I made my way down the walkway with Deja. When we reached the end, I stopped and took everything in.

It was a huge field, it must have been at least an acre or two big. There were square shaped plots of land checkering the ground, some dark brown and sprout-less, some dotted and lined with green growth. I recognized lettuce heads starting to sprout and I spotted what looked like carrot shoots. The area was lined with bushes, some vacant, some bulging with black and blueberries. Apes were scattered here and there, crouching with the young plants. I noticed other apes with spears and such sitting the perimeter of the groves, and supposed they were watching out for predators.

Before I could take in the detail anymore, Deja tugged me along to a Brussels spout patch. I spent much of the day in the fields with Deja, and we were later joined by Brent. When the sun was starting to sink out of the orange tinted sky, many of the guards started calling to one another, not in an alarmed way, but an attention calling way. Deja explained that they were signaling that they wanted the gardeners to get ready to go. So the three of us finished up what we were doing, and stood up. I looked down at the dirt covering my forearms and could feel it on my face. My expression conveyed my distaste in being so filthy, especially so close to dinner.

"_Don't worry. We'll stop by the waterfall to wash up_." Deja said before patting my shoulder. Brent snorted, and we both turned to him with cocked eyebrows, silently waiting for him to explain himself.

"_All you females are the same_." He signed. "_Always so clean conscious_."

"_You males say it's obsessive, but at the end of the day you're glad you have someone clean to snuggle with_." Deja said.

"_Not true. I'd snuggle with you even if you were covered in mud_." He signed back, and his face immediately dropped into a surprised expression. There was a moment of awkward silence, filled with me smirking knowingly at the two Obas as they held eye contact. They both averted their gazes at the same time and Brent cleared his throat.

"W-we. Should go, now." He stuttered, and I was pretty sure only part of the stutter was caused by his lack of verbal speech. Deja and I agreed as I looked at all the other apes making their departure in the dimming light. We followed behind Brent as we made our way to a waterfall to clean up. (One of the first things I learned was that this forest was dripping with waterfalls) Deja glanced at me and I smirked at her.

"_He likes you_." I signed behind Brent's back.

"_Don't be silly, Rain. Of course he doesn't_." She signed back, silent and wide eyed.

"_Whatever you say_." I signed carefully, knowing the first hand gesture could cause sound and alert Brent of our conversation. I knew Deja was just avoiding the truth because of how shy she was, but I knew for a fact Brent liked her that way. This wasn't the first time he had slipped up, but most of the time he was much better at covering it up. I wondered for a moment as to why he hadn't told her yet, but then I dismissed the thought because, hey, that takes guts, and I wouldn't blame the poor boy for wanting time to build up his courage. I just hoped he wouldn't take too long, Deja was a pretty ape, and she had a personality to match. It couldn't be too much longer before someone else realized that too, and got to her before Brent did.

We reached the falls, and some apes were already there, rinsing the soil from their fur and grooming each other. Deja took her Obas mask off and hung it on a little indent in the rock by the water, taking in a deep breath. I smirked again when I seen Brent watching her from his peripherals, an awed, longing look in his eyes. He quickly snapped his gaze away and was saved by a gorilla starting a conversation with him. I turned and seen the reason he had averted his eyes had been because Deja was turning in his direction, and she let out a little sigh as she dunked her hands in the water to wash them.

_"Did you see that?"_ I signed excitedly, keeping my signing tight and close to my body to fend off any eavesdroppers.

_"See what?"_ She refused to meet my gaze, and I knew she was lying.

"_I think you know_." I signed back, giving her a smile before cupping water in my now clean hands and rinsed my face off before combing my hands through my hair a few times, pulling it to the way I like it. I brushed the loose soil from my knees as I stood.

"_No I don't_." She protested, though I could see the pink spots on her face turn a darker shade of pink, betraying her blush. I gave her a smirk.

_"Okay."_ I decided to let it go, knowing she would never admit to anything.

With that, our little trio headed back to the village, trailed by an orangutan and a bonobo. When we reached the courtyard where most of us

gathered in the mornings and evenings, I was swept away by a sea of furry bodies. I fell to the ground with a surprised whoop. When my head breached the surface, I looked at my body to see it teeming with younglings. They scrambled over me, hooting and laughing and making their 'imp' sounds. I sat up and they clambered around me. I laughed as I received hugs and returned them as best I could. I reached up and pulled down the little girl who was sitting on my shoulders, combing her little fingers through my hair and when she made eye contact, she gave me a wide smile and threw her arms out in a "surprise!" Sort of way. I laughed and looked up when I realized I wasn't the only teenager laughing.

Blue Eyes and Ash stood a few feet away, laughing hard. Well, Blue Eyes was standing, partly. Ash was laughing too hard and his knees were giving out, and he hung heavily on Blue Eyes's arm, and the prince was swaying under his friends unbalanced weight. So together they staggered in place and laughed and held onto each other. The sight caused me to clap my hands together once and laughed out in joyous mirth. Some of the children separated from the pack and stormed the boys. Their already stuttered equilibrium toppled under the unexpected weight and they went down like a sack of potatoes, as they say.

This caused more laughter from everyone. I even heard laughter from the apes around us as they watched the three of us laugh under the swarm of children, who in turn thought this whole thing was hilarious. Soon the laughter dissipated and the children went off at the beckon of their mothers and other members of the community. Blue Eyes was up first, pulling Ash up by the elbow, who patted his back in thanks. I got my feet under me as the last of my giggles floated from my lips like silver bubbles in the ocean. Blue Eyes and Ash walked up to me, all of us had wide smiles on our faces.

"You two did that, didn't you?" I mocked a suspicious glare, though I couldn't wipe the smile from my face.

"_Maybe yes, maybe no_." Blue Eyes signed.

"_The world may never know_." Ash finished. I giggled and put a hand on my hip.

"Yeah, okay."

"_Come on. Let's go get some food_." Blue Eyes signed, still smirking.

I followed them to the stone slab that was laden with fruits and nuts and berries while the smell of roasting meat wafted through the air. We filled our plates but instead of going to join Caesar and Cornelia, we sat by a little fire pit and signed with each other as we ate. Soon I felt a weight on my back that made me haunch foreword for a moment before I turned to see Haze peeking over my shoulder. I smiled at him and offered up one of my blueberries. He took it and ate it quickly before coming to plop down in my lap.

"_Rain and brother not with mother and father_." He signed, his gaze switching between us expectantly.

"_Sorry, Haze_." I signed, giving him an apologetic look.

"_We eat with you everyday_." Blue Eyes added.

"_Haze missed brother and Rain_." He pouted. I 'awed' and gave him a hug.

"_I missed you too_." I signed, giving the top of his head a little kiss. He let out a giggle only a child could giggle and hugged me again. Haze spent the rest of the communal supper with the three of us, and I got a good show of watching Blue Eyes and Ash teach Haze how to play a game they made up when they were younger. The day soon ended and I retreated to my hollow for the night. I burrowed into the softness of my hanging bed with a yawn and drifted off into slumber.

-the next morning-

I was at the pasture, giving Zira a few carrots to go with her breakfast. I petted her nose as she chomped on the thick orange stalks. I heard the snort of a horse and turned to see Blue Eyes leading his horse to the pasture gate, hunters paint covering him. When he turned away from the gate, I got a look at his chest. Two ragged looking slash marks traveled from his left shoulder and across his chest, as well as a third under it, not on his arm. The cuts were bleeding, and I could see in his stiff body language that he was in pain.

"Blue Eyes!" I gasped, rushing toward him, completely forgetting about Zira. "What happened? Are you okay?" He held eye contact for a moment before turning his face away shamefully, the small smile he usually gave me was absent. I noticed another smaller cut on his left cheekbone, under his eye.

"Blue?" I prompted. He let out a small sigh through his nose and turned back to me, lips parted slightly.

"Come on, let's go to the Obas." I said gently, seeing his pride and maybe his ego was hurt. He looked down again and nodded slowly. I told him to wait there for a moment before jogging toward Zira and grabbing her reins as a lead rope and jogging toward the pasture gate, forcing the horse into a trot. I opened the gate and the horse seemed to pick up on my urgency and trotted inside the barrier with no trouble. I quickly made my way back to Blue Eyes.

We soon stepped inside the Obas' healing hut and spotted Aria. She was working on a gorilla with a badly scrapped up arm, and when she seen the wounds on her prince, she took a look around, noticing how empty the hut was, then back down at her own patients wound then back at us. It only took a quick scan of the area to see that any other Oba inside was with a patient.

"_No one available right now. You know what to do_." The head Oba signed.

My brows raised in surprise. "Me?" I asked.

She turned back to me. "_Yes, you. Now go, that's not going to treat itself_." She waved me toward the back of the hut, where supplies were kept. I shrugged mentally and pulled Blue Eyes toward the herb stores. Once in a room, I sat him down on a moss cot and went about finding a rag and bowl to fill with water. I went about gently washing away the blood and paint, trying to focus more on the injury than on the ape who was injured. Now wasn't the time for girlish thoughts. When the wounds were clean enough, I crushed the appropriate herbs into a past poultice before scooping some up in my index and middle fingers and starting to gently slather the healing herbs into the wounds on his chest.

Blue Eyes winced with a sharp intake of air at the contact. I whispered a swift apology, hating that I had to cause him pain but it had to be done. He grunted and I could see his jaw tighten as he clamped his teeth together. Once the three on his chest was taken care of, I dipped my finger into more of the poultice and gently rubbed it over the cut on his face, trying desperately to not blush, and tried even harder to avoid eye contact.

"How did this happen?" I voiced one of the questions ringing in my mind.

He hesitated before catching my eye with a sad look. "Bear." He muttered. My eyes widened and my mind immediately pulled up images of Dax trapped between a tree and a brown bear, swinging a machete desperately to ward off the beast. Both of us would have died that day had it not been for Caesar and Rocket. I closed my eyes and tried to banish the memory. My eyes slid open when I felt a touch under my chin, and I saw that Blue Eyes had hooked a feather light finger under my chin and was watching my eyes.

_"I'm okay."_ He signed with his other hand, keeping his other on me. He gave me a small, one sided smile of reassurance.

I sighed and nodded lightly. "I'm glad you are."

Blue Eyes offered me another smile, and I was content to just stare into those pools of liquid sky, as I smiled back. I didn't know how I would feel if something really bad had happened to him, if something had happened differently during his confrontation with the bear, if he hadn't come back to me. I didn't want to imagine a life without his jokes and smiles so small you'd think he was hiding them. The thought poured a concoction of dread, fear and paranoid pain over my heart, and it caused confusion to bloom in my brain. It forced me to think about just how strong my feelings for Blue Eyes were. But I didn't know how to measure something like that, and I was left without an answer.


	13. Chapter 13

My Little Bird- 13 

_Fog swirled around me, dark as smoke. Sounds were all around me, muddled and overlapped to the point where I couldn't make out one mutilated voice from the other. It blared around me, echoing in a deafening cacophony. My heart rate picked up and my breathing quickened as my eyes darted around, paranoia dripping icicles of fear into my stomach. The fog parted in front of me and ashy colored figures with smudged faces and features flocked around in front of me. They rushed to and fro like a flock of birds. Fear infused and induced tears brimmed in my eyes, and all of a sudden my body got hot. Heat cocooned me to the point where I thought I had been placed in an oven._

_But suddenly a thunderous boom sounded, and a rush of more hot air came crashing over me, knocking me off my feet like a rogue wave. I hit the ground with a frightened cry as pain shot up from my tailbone to my spine. The ashen figures returned as the smoky fog swirled around my waist and a new set of sounds rang out. The figures dissipated and left two, standing facing each other with a ten foot distance between them._

_"Rain!" My name was called out in a youthfully deep, husky voice that almost made me dizzy with the way it pronounced my name. The figures then dashed at each other, and when they met in the middle they embraced. The smaller of the two was picked up and spun around before being placed back on its feet and hugged again. Before any more could happen, the figures dissipated into wispy vapors. The charcoal colored fog moved in again, like ornate oak doors to a mansion, shutting luminously closed, locking away the buildings secrets._

_Then a voice rang out, louder than the rest. "Daddy!" A girl breathed. But as soon as it came, it was gone and I was left trying to get to my feet. The earth started shaking and trembling like a leaf in a windstorm. I staggered about, arms fanned out trying to balance myself out, but at one point the earth seemed to tip like a boat riding a lopsided wave, and I tumbled to my side. When the earthquake stopped its rumbling, the smell of fire burned my nose with its acrid scent, and I looked around fearfully for the source of the flames. I could see nothing, but was distracted by a scream that was not human. It was oddly familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint the memory in which I'd heard it before. I couldn't figure out the epicenter of the scream either, and I hopped to my feet, afraid that the creature that had sounded the angry call would find me. More screaming filled my ears, and like the first, they were not human. But the screams didn't just project anger, many resonated fear and frenzied confusion. I covered my ears and ducked my head, thinking that somehow if I couldn't hear it, the sounds would disappear. My hands did nothing to help, but suddenly, all the noise ceased and I wondered if the ringing in my ears meant I had gone deaf as my hands dropped to grip each other in front of my chest._

_Then, a deep, almost booming tone growled the word. "Run."_

_The smoky fog cleared again like the opening of the curtains at a play to reveal another, single ashen figure. In its hand was a black object, and it didn't take me long to recognize it as a gun. I gasped and took a step back. My heart skipped a beat the moment before the barrel lit up and a loud BANG! sounded._

I could still hear the echoes of the gunshot in my head even as I snapped awake. My chest heaved and my heart pounded and when the blood stopped rushing in my ears, I found that I could still hear the echo, though barely. Then the air was filled with shrieks and screeches, and I jumped out of my hammock, almost tripping over a blanket when doing so, and approached the vines that divided me from the rest of the colony. I pulled back the hanging vegetation to peek outside, and quickly dropped it away with a gasp when a dark blur sped past, down the spiral staircase of the Home Tree. I poked my head out again and seen a figure that, coming from that direction, could only have been Caesar lope out the village gates, along with a large wave of males rushing after the king. That's when I realized the gunshot sound hadn't just been in my nightmare, the apes had heard it as well.

A series of short hoots got my attention and I looked up and to my left to see Cornelia standing by the bend, holding a sleeping Haze in her arms. She waved me up to her, and I complied, making sure the soft doeskin dress I adorned was fitting appropriately after my sleep. I quickly joined her, looking over my shoulder at the riled up apes still in the village. I was still slightly breathless from the night fright I recently suffered, but my thoughts were on the sound that had faded from the air, but I could still hear the advancing apes who had rushed off to investigate as they crashed through the forest loudly.

_"What was that?"_ I signed to the queen.

"_Something bad_." She signed distantly, watching the Gates. Then she turned her pale green gaze on me and took a step toward me. _"Feeling okay?"_ She placed a soft palm on my cheek, scanning my face.

"_I..had a nightmare_." I signed, looking down and trying to banish the memories of the scare.

She looked at me sympathetically. _"Come. We stay together until Caesar gets back_." She said, turning away and walking up the stairs to her own home. I lidded my surprise and followed the beautiful chimpanzee, happy to get away from the chill that still lingered in the air. It was early, the sun not yet risen but shedding a milky light into the clouded sky. I followed Cornelia to the penthouse of the Home Tree and she beckoned me inside. I paused at the threshold, remembering the last time I stood here, remembered not being able to take my eyes off the village Gates from here in hopes that I would see my brother walk through. Remembering how silly I would have imagined myself feeling if he had. I forced the thoughts away and into the breeze before I could hurt myself with memories.

When I stepped inside, I felt the warmth of the many lanterns and candles scattered around the spacious room. Near the middle was a large moss bed and beyond that, at the back of the room, I spotted what looked to be a table and two chairs. I walked forward curiously. When I approached I seen that on the table was what looked like a chess board, equipped with player pieces. They weren't the same as the ones made by humans, but I could tell which was supposed to represent which. I remembered playing this game with my grandfather, very vaguely. I realized I was subconsciously tracing the edge of the board with a finger. I pulled my hand away and looked to where Cornelia stood, Haze no longer occupying her arms. I was worried she'd be annoyed that I was touching one of her belongings but instead she gave me a small smile and signed, _"Do you know how to play? Caesar calls it Chess."_

She approached as I looked down at the board, nodding my head. "My mother taught me. I used to play it with my grandfather." I murmured

Cornelia let out a little giggle, and the sound made me wonder just how old she was. _"Caesar taught Blue Eyes. Now, my son beats Caesar every time they play. The face Caesar makes never fails to make me laugh."_ She signed, even more bubbly, girlish laughter pouring from her.

I smiled and shared her amusement. "Sounds entertaining." I murmured, not wanting to disturb little Haze, who now slept in the folds of softness that made up the bed in the middle of the room. Cornelia nodded in agreement, but her smile slowly faded, and she turned her head to look out one of the windows that was in one of the walls. I made a little sound that reminded me of the tiny little grunts Haze made to get Cornelia's attention. When she turned to me, I lifted my hand to sign, _"What's wrong?"_

She let out a small sigh. _"Worried. Blue Eyes went fishing with Ash this morning. I fear for them."_ She signed, the happy mood completely forgotten, and the sound that had woken me from my frightened slumber came back to the surface of my recollection.

"That sound. What was it?" I asked quietly, not wanting to believe it was what I thought it had been.

Cornelia's gaze went to the window again, lifting a hand to form one word. _"Gun."_

We tucked down beside one another silently, and started grooming. She combed out my locks with her fingers while I ran my small, slender fingers through the hair on her leg. We did this for a few minutes until Haze started to wake. One glance outside was all it took to let me know it was nearing the time the community gathered for breakfast. Cornelia beckoned her son over to her and he sleepily crawled over, not awake enough to stand up bipedal. He plopped down into her lap and she proceeded to groom him. I moved to her side and started grooming the back of her shoulder. We stayed like that for a while, just sitting in comfortable silence, listening to Haze yawn. When Haze woke up some more and noticed I was here, he made a cute little sound and crawled his way up to my shoulders. He then started to do his own grooming on my scalp. We switched positions so I was grooming Cornelia's other leg while the queen ran her fingers through my hair, combing out the knots. I normally did this with Deja or Lisa, or on one occasion. Blue Eyes, after breakfast.

My thoughts went to my dream. I'd had multiple strange dreams since I came here, but that was the most shocking and frightening by far. Most of my dreams were reoccurring, and I desperately hoped that that wouldn't be the case for this new nightmare. The ending of the dream floated up to my memory, to the figure with the gun. I had never seen a gun in real life. I remember seeing them in movies a few times as a child, and I remembered the sound and what they could do. Guns were destructive and loud, that's a reason why I preferred the quiet stealth of an archery set. Then something struck me. Guns don't grow on trees. There's no scenario I could think of that would involve a completely natural cause of that sound. That meant one thing, and one thing only.

There was a human in the forest.

A cold drop of dread caused my spine to stiffen. I had thought I would never have to see another human being again, and I was perfectly okay with that. It's not like anyone misses me. I crossed out the option of there being a search party out there, especially since I've been here for months and there's never been a single hint of human activity out there. I didn't want any humans here. The chance of it being someone who came in peace seemed unlikely, but it seemed even more so that they would know who was in these mountains. I had been completely shocked by the apes' presence, but I doubted anyone else would be so cooperative, remembering the way Dax had acted upon our first meeting.

But now, two of my closest friends were out in the forest, and I had heard a gun's explosive firing sound ring out like a sough. A wave of fear rushed through me, what if one of them was hurt? My thoughts quickly flew to Blue Eyes' still very fresh scars, would he be coming home with another? I started when I felt a hand on my own, which had dropped into my lap. I looked up to see Cornelia looking at me with a concerned expression. I took a quick glance around to see Haze gone. I asked about his absence and she answered that a friend from class came, asking to play.

_"Are you alright?" _She added.

I sighed and signed, _"Worried."_

She gave me a sympathetic smile and nodded her head. _"Me too."_

The queen lifted her hands to sign something but was interrupted by a familiar voice shout out the word, "No!" The word stopped the sounds of the village noises. Cornelia and I shared a moment of eye contact before we both shot up and hurried to the window. My eyes scanned the area to find the familiar dark brown coats and one grey coat of my friends. I spotted Ash first, sitting with a group of older males, who were signing and discussing something. As I looked at the features of each, I recognized Rocket, and I was fairly certain the gorilla with his back to me was Luca, as well as Maurice. Then I seen the stocky build of Blue Eyes, watching the male whom I realized to be Caesar, signing something.

"They're back!" I sighed with relief, feeling it rush over me coolly.

"_Caesar called a Council meeting.._" Cornelia signed, distracted.

"I wonder what happened out there." I thought out loud as Cornelia pulled me away from the window.

Cornelia decided to play Chess, for some reason, and I wondered if she was looking for distraction. I complied quietly and obediently started playing, glad for something to do with my head other than think of bad scenarios to explain the odd start to the day. We were halfway in when a shuffling sound at the threshold was heard and we seen it was Caesar and Blue Eyes, Blue Eyes looking at Caesar with an almost guarded, expectant look, like he was waiting for an answer to something, but froze when he seen they were not alone. Cornelia and I shared a glance before turning back to the males, and my eyes widened a little when I seen something in Caesar's grasp. The object was so familiar it caused a nervous jump in my stomach.

"Is that...?" I trailed off, wondering if I was correct about its origins. But that was impossible, wasn't it? Caesar watched my expression carefully before he came a few steps closer.

_"You know this..?"_ He signed.

I glanced up at the king before sliding from the chair to sit beside it on my knees, looking back at the satchel the large ape held. "I don't know...I can't figure out where I've seen that before." I made eye contact again, reaching out a little with one hand. "May I?"

He hesitated, but he tossed it towards me, and when I opened it up, I started sifting through it. I found a book, a pencil bag, and what felt like a few comic books. I pulled out the first book and immediately knew who this belonged to.

"This is Alexander's." I realized, recognizing the sketchbook. When a grunt sounded, I looked up to see the all three sit around me, forming a circle.

"_You know who this belongs to?"_ Caesar signed, continuing to watch my face.

I nodded. "His father was my mother's best friend." I started flipping through the pages, looking at the drawings. Scenes of burning buildings, bloody streets and sadness soaked many pages, and I seen the hardships the humans of San Francisco endured during the Simian Flu epidemic. Memories flooded me, memories of watching men riot and hearing women screaming at night, children crying. I remembered how my mother tried to shelter Dax and I from the brutality and cruel desperation that befell the human race, but we seen it all. I froze when I turned a page and recognized the girl sketched into the page. Numb shock flowed through my bones as my lips parted, drawing in air at an increasing rate. I set the book down and pulled my legs to my chest, and started scooting backwards until my spine pressed against the leg of the chair behind me. All my mind could come up with was five words._ Oh my God. He saw._

Drawn graphic novel style into the page was a girl. Her T-shirt was ripped off from the abdomen down, revealing a too-thin-to-be-healthy body. Obvious hints of a rib cage showed under her skin, like a movie trailer, showing a tease of what was to come. Her arms were impossibly thin, though tiny hills of muscle were delicately drawn on, as well as her legs, though the jeans she wore gave the impression of a some-what healthy weight, but the sight of how thin her waist was gave away the efforts of the belt synched tightly to keep the too-big jeans on her bony hips. The girl's head was turned away, a waterfall of dark hair cascaded down and stopped between her breasts, little hints of her nose and eyelashes peaked out like an anxious play actor on opening night, searching the crowd from behind a big red curtain. Beneath her was a sentence etched into the paper multiple times over in surprisingly neat handwriting for a male.

_Selflessness in its most damaged form_

The girl was me.

The book was turned away by Caesar's fingers as he turned it to get a better look at the picture. Blue Eyes leaned closer to his father's shoulder as they both glared down at the page as they examined it. Blue Eyes was the first to look up and meet my gaze. His lips parted slightly as if he wanted to say something, but all I could do was revert my eyes back to the drawing. The image of the black haired boy flashed in my mind, his quiet observing nature had seen through my walls. He saw me. I had hid it so well from everyone, and at the first glimpse of my bones he knew. I remembered Alexander's face when he seen how thin I had been, just a few years ago.

This drawing, that girl who's skeleton was rising up, trying to escape her body as if it would be free if it pushed itself hard enough through her skin, was me. The girl etched in graphite that showed the results of her generosity, the result of giving to others what she barely had so that they could live another day, was right there for all and any to see. This was back when a famine had been sweeping through the human colony. My small family was getting more food than we needed because of my mother's high rank and importance, so I had been sneaking out to give most of my dinners to the elderly homeless who dotted the streets, and to the younger children at the orphanage. I hid my hunger from my family for three weeks until my mother noticed the drop in my weight. I refused to tell her at first, afraid of what she would have said, but one night she had caught me on my way to sneak out, and I was forced to explain.

Of coarse she had tried to stop me. But I had inherited her own stubbornness and she knew it, so she put a twenty four hour daily watch on my eating habits, bringing me food and not leaving the room until she witnessed every bite I took. It was a total pain in my ass, but I understood her motives. But as soon as she let up I took advantage of my loosened leash and went back to feeding the helpless. Not long after that, Dax caught me. He took me straight to mom, not listening to my pleas not to. He had replied that he denied my requests because he wasn't going to cover for me while I starved myself to death. I had resented that and stubbornly replied, "I'm not starving myself!"

But to no avail, he took me to our mother, or how I had seen her at that time, our personal school principle. She had examined my body and gave me a stern talking to, saying that if I didn't stop now and put on some real weight, I would soon become anorexic. I had seen anorexic people before in the city, especially during that time. Many immune Flu survivors had died from malnutrition, and there were still some on their way down that dark road today in the city. I knew that anorexia was not something I wanted to acquire, and I grudgingly stopped to save myself, feeling selfish every time I looked out the window.

But before my family could force this correction, my mother's best friend, Malcolm's son, Alexander, had seen the truth of my empathy. I had been rushing home after an encounter with a bully, and my shirt had caught on the sharp end of a broken pipe sticking out of a wall I ran too close to, and in my panicked state I had wrenched myself free, tearing the fabric and leaving it hanging. I had climbed through my window and into the bathroom down the hall. I had been able to tell by the laughter in the house that Malcolm was there at the time, so I had closed the door and cried silently with my back pressed against the cool bathtub. Alexander had walked in and in my surprise I stood up, and he seen my ribs through my skin, how bony and scrawny my arms had become. I had begged him not to tell, and he had reluctantly agreed. But my hunger ravaged body was not all he had seen. He had seen me cry. And I knew that in those tears he had seen the pain I endured and hid, locked away by a cheerful smile. He never brought it up, but I knew he knew, and that terrified me.

I was jerked out of my thoughts by a hand on my shoulder, and I startled as my head shot to the left. I seen Cornelia's concerned gaze on me, and I returned it with a wide eyed, parted lipped expression of surprise. My face then dropped and I kept my gaze on my lap. I knew what she wanted, what they all wanted to know, why I had reacted the way I did at seeing that picture.

"That's me." I murmured. "The girl on the page is me." I looked up through my lashes when I heard a small grunt to get my attention.

_"What happened?"_ Blue Eyes signed slowly.

I hesitated, and looked at my lap again, trying to wrangle the courage to say it out loud. Like took a deep breath and opened my mouth.

"Do you remember the day, Dax and I were arguing and he said he didn't ever want to see me so thin?" I continued when I received a nod from Cornelia. "That's what he was talking about."

_"How did this happen?"_ Blue Eyes repeated, not fully satisfied with my answer.

I bit my lip. For some reason I was reluctant to say, but I explained what had happened to result in my turning into a bag of bones. By the end my eyes burned from the tears I was fighting to pull back.

"What happened out there?" I asked, not wanting to dwell on my past.

"_Humans in the forest. Shot Ash_." Caesar signed with a grave look on his face.

My face lit up with shock. "Is he okay?" I gasped.

Caesar nodded._ "He is fine."_ I sensed that there was more he wanted to say, but seemed to be thinking it over in his mind.

"What is it?" I prompted.

He held my eye contact, scanning my face with a guarded, almost suspicious expression. _"Could they be looking for you?"_ He signed slowly.

My brows rose and I shook my head. "No. Why would they want a misfit like me back? You've seen how most humans treat me." I added quietly, looking down at my hands in my lap.

But if Alexander was here, it was probably safe to say Malcolm had been with him, Malcolm was protective of his son and I doubted he would let Alexander travel into the mountains alone. I wanted to know why they were here, what could have possibly persuaded them to come into the mountains? It's not that I didn't like them, but I had thought I would never see another human for the rest of my life, and I was perfectly okay with that. Why did they have to be here? Did they bring anyone else? Why did they shoot Ash? _Who_ shot Ash? What was going to happen to me? A new thought pushed its way into my brain. What if the apes got angry and blamed me for this? What would I do? Sure, I might be able to take care of myself in the wild better than I had been before but I didn't want to leave. I couldn't leave. I had too much to lose.

"I don't think I'm the reason they came up here." I added. "It has to be something else."

_"What's going to happen now?"_ Cornelia signed, voicing a thought that had been tickling the back of my brain.

_"I will make sure they stay away."_ Caesar signed to his wife.

A tense, awkward air descended upon us, so strong it was almost palpable. I looked up from my hands when I heard Blue Eyes grunt my name. "_Let's go see Ash_." He signed.

I was more than glad for a reason to leave as I nodded and bid the king and queen goodbye. I followed closely behind Blue Eyes as we silently descended the staircase around the massive Home Tree's trunk. When we reached the ground he glanced at me. _"Do you still want to see Ash?"_

I looked at him, head quirked in confusion. "I thought that's what you wanted to do."

"_Ash is fine. Honestly_..." His hands dropped a bit as we walked. _"I need to get out of here. Will you keep me company?"_ He glanced at me.

"Of course." I nodded.

With that, I followed Blue Eyes through the Gates, in step with the prince. We walked between the titanous redwoods and pines, through the lush shrubbery and over the moist green moss blanketing the forest floor. We didn't take to the trees, and I was fine to just follow Blue Eyes' lead. I could tell by his stony, masked expression that he was completely wrapped up in his thoughts. I stayed silent, pushing away the thoughts of before, and paying attention the forest around me. I tried not to imagine what humans could have wanted up here, but my brain conjured up images of bulldozers plowing down the smaller trees that warmed the giants that surrounded up. I shivered at the thought. Twenty minutes later we were still trekking through the forest, but the trees had thinned out some, we were approaching a mountain's foothill. Something about it struck me as familiar, and I brought it to Blue Eyes' attention.

He stayed silent, but beckoned me to follow behind him as he started ascension. When we made it to the top, I beamed at what I found. It was the little valley we had found after the earthquake all those days ago. The sun shone down through the clouds onto the beautiful windflower patches dotting the grass, and the large oak trees towered over the land, like masoned lions guarding a cathedral's doors. I breathed in a lungful, and smelled last nights rainfall still heavy in the morning air. I glanced at Blue Eyes to see him staring at the valley, his face expressionless. I nudged him with an elbow.

"Are we going to stand here staring all day? Or do you actually want to go in?" I said with a playful smile.

He tried to cover up his chuckle. _"Shut up."_ He signed and walked down the rocky path, head high. I tittered and followed him down into the grass. When we reached the bottom we fell into the shadow of the rocky mountainside, I noticed the cave mouth that led to the cavern. When I seen the stream flowing out, I thought back to my last bath two days ago. _Might as well,_ I thought.

"I'm gonna go in there." Was all the explanation I gave Blue Eyes as I veered off and into the tunnel, not nearly as afraid as I was the first time. I heard Blue Eyes huff with annoyance and heard his footsteps trot after mine. _Well, I guess that means half a bath this time._ I thought. When I stepped into the blue green glow of the cavern, my eyes went to the water falling from the large, jagged crack in the rock. As I approached the pool, I stared down into the water, finding that the algae that coated the walls could also be find on the sides of the pool. But my eyes were drawn to the white froth churned by the waterfall, and found nervous caution swirling in my stomach.

"How deep do you think it is?" I wondered out loud.

I heard Blue Eyes grunt. "_Maybe you shouldn't get in_..." He signed, looking down at the water suspiciously.

"I'll get in slowly." I decided, choosing to throw caution to the wind. With that, I shimmied out of my dress and nudged it away from the edge a little before dipping a toe into the water. I gasped and quickly withdrew my foot at the cold, but quickly gained my nerve back and stepped in. I shivered as my ankles ached for a moment before going numb, and I decided that this would be a short bath. I subconsciously fixed my bra strap on my shoulder, the back of my mind knowing Blue Eyes was still there.

As I made my way closer to the falling liquid, I tested each step carefully, pausing at each stone shifting. When I deemed it safe, I stepped under the water. It wasn't a hard shoulder beating like I had been expecting, but a firm, icy flow. When my hair was completely soaked, I went about scrubbing my arms and sides, as well as my shoulders. I cleared my mind and focused solely on cleansing, which was easier than I had initially supposed. My lungs were clear and filled with cool, wet rock scented air, and it helped calm my still lurking confusion from the earlier events of the day.

But all sense of inner calmness shattered when a splash sounded behind me, one that did not belong to the waterfall. I turned and looked up from where I had been washing one of my legs to see Blue Eyes had hopped into the water. His eyes were on me, and I stayed stone still as I watched his sky colored gaze travel up my leg where my hands had been scrubbing, all the way up to my neck, slowly, taking in every detail that was me. His expression showed an almost ignorant curiosity, as well as an emotion I was too timid to peg as desire churning in his eyes, much like the way the waterfall kissed the surface of the pool.

I held my breath as it hitched in my throat. Blue Eyes moved closer, his eyes grazing over my collarbone. The water was to his knee caps now, and rising ever higher as he stepped closer to me. A few more steps and we'd be chest to chest. I resisted the urge to bite my lip in a way to deal with the nerves that were raking through me, though I soon caved and nibbled on my lower lip. My rib cage practically hummed with the rapid beat of a hummingbird heart, and I was particularly glad about the cold temperatures of the water around me to cool my heated skin. Blue Eyes was closer now, the water at his thighs. Close enough that if one of us reached out a little, we would touch. Almost as if he read my mind, the blue eyed prince reached out a large hand, and ran his fingers over my right side, down my midriff to float off the curve of my hip.

All at once the air seemed to leave me.

I closed my eyes for a moment while a different kind of shivers ran down my spine. I opened my eyes again and looked up to see him, the feel of his callused palm on my skin seeped into my memory, and another shiver traveled through me as I locked eyes with him. Blue Eyes took another step closer and both his hands rose up to my hips, his thumbs caressing the skin over my hipbones. My hands traveled up to his chest, and I ran my fingers through the hair there, feeling the strong muscle underneath, and I made precautions of the new scar tissue marring his strong chest. Blue Eyes' palms ran up my sides and back down, once even traveling over my thighs until they drifted back to their original place on my hips. I breathed in a soothing breath to attempt to calm my frazzled nerve endings. Blue Eyes stepped closer again, and I in turn took a step toward him, rendering us chest to chest.

His hands traveled up to hold my waist, and mine on the nape of his neck on both sides as my gaze was trapped by his. Blue Eyes' irises seemed to be a darker shade of sky, like a cloud stroked twilight. A magnetic-like pull seemed to tug at my heart as I stared into those dazzling pools of liquid sapphire. He leaned down and our foreheads touched. I felt him wrap his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him, so I slinked my arms around his neck, eyes drooping closed as I shared this moment with Blue Eyes. I felt the warmth in the pads of his fingers seep into my skin, but the warmth turned into a burning ember as his fingers started moving, stroking the skin, running his index finger up and down my spine. The motion caused a jolt of lightning to travel up the lissome curve of my body.

I felt our chests pushing against each other as we breathed, and it willed me to let my eyes flutter open, and I seen Blue Eyes do the same in stereo with me. We both seemed to freeze in place, and I wished we could stay like this forever. Something changed in his expression as his eyes traveled slowly down my face, stopping above my chin. My heart fluttered and picked up the pace, and I was certain he'd be able to hear it. Blue Eyes suddenly dipped his head and his lips fell onto mine. My brows went up slightly in surprise, but then drifted back down as my eyes shuttered shut. Kissing him was a completely new sensation, one I could never of imagined. I had found myself wondering before what this would be like, at night when sleep seemed to evade me, but no amount of wondering or imagining could have prepared me for this. My body became a bolt of lightning as I clung to Blue Eyes, gently coaxing him through. I had seen apes kiss before, and had been secretly pleasantly surprised, but I never brought it to attention that I even noticed.

Now, all I could think of was how everywhere our skin touched little embers of happiness burned right through my skin down into my bones. We parted when the need for air grew too great, and our foreheads came together again. I panted slightly, feeling Blue Eyes' hot breath mingling in mine as he tried to catch his breath. Now the fact that this had actually happened, that Blue Eyes had actually kissed me, fell over me like marbles, cluttering and bouncing and rolling onto the floor with echoing _tik-ti-ti-tik-tiiik_ sounds, and my cheeks warmed up, though not as much as I would have guessed.

Our eyes met and we shared a moment of nervous giggles, and with a smile, I murmured, "We should probably get out of this water."

He puffed out a breath of short laughter through his nose and nodded, glancing up at the water rushing smoothly down beside us. The icy feel of the water no longer bothered me, my skin had a fuzzy, tingly feel, like hot dandelion seeds floating and drifting over my body. I stepped out of the chilly water and rung out my hair, twisting and squeezing to expel the moisture. I shook it out and quickly styled it the way I liked it as I picked up my dress, drawing it over my head and fitting it correctly. I turned to Blue Eyes and seen him, not doing a thing about the water soaking part of him as he watched me. I gave him a little smile and averted my gaze, not believing myself strong enough to hold that smoldering blue gaze.

Silently, (not uncomfortably) we made our way out of the glowing cavern and into the patchy sunlight. I liked the feel of the grass on my bare feet, and wiggled my toes appreciatively. We approached one of the many oak trees that littered the grasses, and I bent my neck back to stare up into the branches. I licked my lips and started climbing, going rather quickly, much to my enjoyment. I heard leaves and branches brush and betray Blue Eyes' silence as he followed. With a silent grunt, I pulled myself up onto a space where the trunk branched off in a way that almost seemed another trunk was sprouting out of the original, it's branches fanning out and upward. It left enough space in the middle for me to sprawl out and there would still be enough room for another or two.I sat down and leaned against the trunk and closed my eyes, enjoying the warm sunlight filtering strongly onto my body through a breech in the cloud bank, as well as the warmth I could feel from Blue Eyes' body beside me.

"So what happened out there?" I asked after around five minutes of silence.

I peeked an eye open and met his glacial gaze. He looked away, his thinking face on. When he turned back he lifted his hands and signed. "_Ash and I went fishing. We were on our way back, and we seen a human. He was skittish and kept mumbling. He pulled out a..._" He trailed off and shaped his hands, pulling a face like the gesture left a bad taste in his mouth. _"..gun. I guess Ash moved too much and the next thing I know there was this loud noise, and Ash was on the ground_." He paused. "_Then Father and the others got there, as well as more humans. Most of the males had guns. The leader and Father stared each other down, and the human backed down. He told the others to do the same. Father made them leave._" Blue Eyes had a distant look on his face, it was part of his thinking face, and part of a confused pout. It was adorable in my opinion, and it made me want to lean over and kiss him again. But I hid and resisted the urge and pushed them away, he needed a friend right now.

I shook my head and looked down. "I don't understand why they would come up here." I muttered.

_"You're sure they're not looking for you?"_ Blue Eyes signed.

I nodded. "I'm sure."

_"What was it like for you?"_ Blue Eyes suddenly signed, and for a mortified moment I feared he was talking about our kiss, but I felt a wave of relief flow over me when he added, "In the city."

I looked away. "I already told you. And Ash."

Blue Eyes grunted for my attention. "_No, you told us what it's like for humans in general. I want to know what your life was like_." He explained.

I shook my head a little, not in a 'no' way, but in a denial-like manner. There were memories that I just wasn't ready to face in my past, and that was it. I didn't really want Blue Eyes to know the raw truth of my out-of-the-family life, I didn't want him to think less of me. "It's not a good story." I bit my lip nervously. A warmth touched my hand and pressed up to my palm. I looked down to see Blue Eyes' hand on mine, our palms laying against each other, with our fingers fanning up and out. I straightened my digits out against his and stared in wonder at how small and contrasting my hands were to his. I lightly rubbed my fingers over the pads of his digits for a moment before I laced my fingers with his. I leaned my head back against the tree bark and turned my head slightly to look him in the eye.

"Do you really want to know?" I murmured softly.

His light hues searched my face, and I suddenly had the urge to know what color he saw in my irises. I wondered if they ever looked as bright and fantastic as his. His eyes looked even more so now, the red scar tissue on his dark fur made his eyes pop wonderfully. He gave a tiny nod, so small that if I hadn't been focusing on his eyes and seen them incline under his brow slightly, I would never of known of his conformation. I sighed and nodded, looking down at my lap. I nibbled on my bottom lip as I thought of a place to start. I drew in a soothing breath and began.

"I wasn't born in the city." I started. I felt his gaze turn onto me, but I forced myself to continue. "I was born in a place far away from here, called Washington state. I went to the city when the Flu breakout started, to see my aunt. But when we got to her house...everyone was already dead inside." My eyes burned with tears as I thought of how I found my family, strewn about the house in heaps, blood splotched on their clothes, and hands or arms. It had been terrifying and confusing for my seven year old self, and I had clutched Dax tightly and buried my face into his (at the time) bony chest.

"The borders closed soon after that, and we were stuck in the city. My mom met the chief of police, who became the leader of the human colony, and through him she was reunited with her childhood friend, Malcolm. That's when I met him and his son. He had just lost his wife. After a few years Dax was caught too close to an explosion, and that's how he lost his hearing. That was a rough patch." I paused to take a deep breath. "Just after we learned to sign fluently, my best friend killed herself." I was forced to stop when my voice cracked. Flashes of bloody tiles and slit wrists and a pale neck flickered in my head, and I rushed to push them away before I started crying. A singular tear had already paved a wet trail down my cheek, and I quickly swiped it away.

Blue Eyes jerked forward and stared at me, eyes wide and mouth moving closed and shut for a moment like a fish out of water as he struggled to form words. "Kill. Herself?" He looked and sounded completely baffled.

I gave him a confused look. "You've never heard of-?" I paused, then huffed out a dry laugh at my stupidity. "Of course you wouldn't of heard of that. Why would anyone here want do that?" Blue Eyes stared at me with alarm written all over his face, his lips parted in shock.

"It's not exactly...uncommon, for a human to take their own life." I murmured gently, feeling uncomfortable because I didn't know exactly how to explain this to him. "Especially now. So many humans have lost everything they ever loved and knew, and for many, it's all too much. It's hard to explain. Everyone has their own reasons and feelings and sometimes they don't even know what those reasons are, just what they're feeling." I turned to make eye contact with the handsome male.

"You have to understand that the human colony isn't like the ape colony. Here, it's amazing. The people are happy and flourishing in a beautiful world. In the human city, everything is broken and bleak...there's almost no more beauty there. The people are dying and hungry and struggling to pretend that everything is okay. You would be surprised at how easy it is to feel alone even when you're surrounded by people." I didn't want to dwell on this, it was a hard subject. I think Blue Eyes picked up on my feelings toward our current topic and seemed to let it go for now. He leaned back again and re-laced our fingers together.

"Does your story, get better?" He murmured. I leaned my head back against the bark, and squeezed his fingers. I took a moment to revel in the wonderfully soft and rough feel of his hand enfolding mine before I answered his question.

"It does." I paused. "After four more years of social rejection and abuse and taking every class the colony school system had to offer, I was called to the colony leader's office and he told me that I would be going up into the mountains to fix the dam up here. When I got back to my home, I told my mom and brother about it, and neither of them wanted me to go. Dax was really reluctant to let me go, and the only reason he let me out of the house was because my mom wanted him to come with me." I paused to take a breath. "So the next morning, we left and came here. When we stopped I went to the river to get water, and when I came back a bear was attacking my brother. Then you, Rocket and Caesar showed up, and you know the rest." I gave him the shortened version.

We were silent for a few minutes, and I sat quietly and enjoyed the close contact while Blue Eyes digested everything I had said. I closed my eyes and tried to wipe away everything from my mind, I just wanted to sit here and soak up the warm fuzzes that were skimming up my arm from our interlocked fingers.

"It's not as sad as it sounds." I added. Blue Eyes grunted in confusion.

"That was just my outside of the family life. My life with my mom and Dax was wonderful. We laughed a lot, and Dax and I were almost always together, so much so that my mother started calling me his shadow." I gave a little laugh at the memory. "We were always having a good time together, it was great." I smiled fondly, thinking about all the times I fell on the ground laughing because of Dax's antics or my moms jokes or my own smart ass comments.

I spent much of the day up in that tree talking with Blue Eyes. We left minutes before the sun started to set so we would have enough time to get back home before the light left us. We held a race through the branches to see who could get in sight of the Gates first, and I'm pretty sure he let me win. I had no doubt that he would have been able to beat a human in a race that took place in his natural element. I found it momentously sweet of him, but I said nothing about my suspicions. We were a little late for supper, but joined Ash and Lisa around a hearth after getting a plate of food.

_"How's your arm?"_ I signed to Ash after I noticed the wound on his arm. I was relieved that bullet only grazed him, and it explained Blue Eyes' lack of concern for his friend. But I was sure that Ash would have that scar on his arm for the rest of his life, though it wasn't as impressive or as intimidating as Blue Eyes' new pectoral additions. The rest of dinner continued smoothly, until Caesar passed by on his way back to Home Tree.

"I want to speak to you." He gestured to Blue Eyes and I. The blue eyed prince and I exchanged a glance, but followed the large ape obediently.

He led us up the spiral staircase and all the while I was struggling to conceal how much I was internally freaking out. My thoughts were all on the kiss Blue Eyes and I had shared just a few hours ago, the memory was as fresh as it would be if it had happened just seconds ago. I could still feel his lips on mine and the secure clamp of his arms around my waist and the utter feeling of _right_ was still tingling on my tongue. Had Caesar somehow found out? Had he seen into my memory, flipped through my thoughts like a rolodex and seen our transgressions? Was it even a transgression? If this was the case, and the noble king knew, how would he react? Would he make me leave? I fought to keep my breathing under control. I felt a feather light touch on my fingertips, and would have blamed it on the breeze had it not been for a second, lingering touch. I glanced down to see it had been Blue Eyes trying to obtain my attention.

I turned my head slightly and met his expressive, glacial gaze. He discreetly lifted his hands to sign, "_Calm down_." before his eyes flitted to my mouth and back up to my eyes. That's when I realized I had been nibbling mercilessly on my bottom lip, as I did when I was lost in thought. I released my lip from its unjust punishment and instead tried not to make it obvious I was biting my tongue. I tapped Blue Eyes' fingers with mine one more time before we reached the top of the tree, and entered into Caesar's home.

He had us sit down and he faced us. "_I am taking apes into the city. To get a message across to the humans_." Blue Eyes let out a gasp and my eyes widened. Caesar turned his green gaze onto me. "_That is why I wanted to speak with you_."

Then it clicked and I let out an understanding "Ohh." and nodded. "You don't want to go in blind." Caesar nodded and I took a deep breath.

"My advice is you get through the outskirts of the city quickly. It's not safe. Coyotes, bears, big animals scavenge around there a lot. The colony is near the heart of the city, look for the tower, you can't miss it. The front gates face the bridge, but there are sentries about a half mile before the gates." I gave up the information willingly. A part of me was a bit disappointed in myself, but it was swallowed by my loyalty to Caesar. I didn't think that he would harm anyone, and I felt no worry on that part. My worry was with the humans' reaction to the apes. I didn't know what to expect. And that scared me.

Caesar nodded slowly toward me after a moment of thinking. "_Thank you. You should both get some sleep. Especially you_." He gestured to Blue Eyes. "We leave in the morning."

I nodded and inclined my head respectfully, getting up to leave. Blue Eyes rose with me and signed to his father that he would show me out. I silently made my way down the stairs, Blue Eyes right by my side. The village was turning in for the night, and many bonfires and hearths had been doused for the night, save for a few torches here and there. Many apes were in their respective homes and dwellings and it allowed Blue Eyes and I to slip through the vine curtain concealing my hollow without being seen. I hurried to light one of the fireplaces and then I lit my lamps.

Washed in the orange flickering glow of the fire, I turned to look at Blue Eyes. He heaved out a sigh and looked up to meet my gaze. A spell seemed to fall over me as I lost myself in those clear, sky colored eyes, and when I blinked I was a bit surprised to find our proximity had changed, and we were now standing much closer to each other. I felt the wonderfully warm touch of Blue Eyes' hands on my waist again, and I gladly let him pull me closer. Our lips met again and this time, I let myself enjoy it more, and thought less. This kiss was tender and sensual, whereas the first had been laced with the fire of underlying passion and had been exploding with feelings I couldn't yet explain. This kiss felt more experienced than the last as well, as if in the small amount of time that had passed between these two contacts, a years worth of experience had seeped into us.

My arms found their way around his neck, and Blue Eyes returned the gesture by coiling his long arms around my waist. When we parted for air, both of us simultaneously went back in for a few more small, feeling infused pecks. Our foreheads laid against one another softly, and I closed my eyes as I felt Blue Eyes tighten his grip on me. I could feel the muscles in his arms and chest flex as he hugged me to him, and let myself enjoy the feel. Our breathes mingled and clouded transparently together in front of our mouths. My lips were tingling and my senses seemed to be both working in overdrive and at the same time they seemed to be lusciously numb. Our bodies drifted apart slowly, but I still felt close to him. I drew in a shuddering breath to try to calm my sudden nerves. I smiled up at Blue Eyes through my lashes, and he returned the smile. His large hand cupped my cheek, and I leaned into his palm as his thumb caressed the ridge of my cheekbone. Blue Eyes let out a sad sigh, and I knew he would be making his leave soon. I tried to hide my disappointment.

After we detached ourselves from each other, I murmured, "Sleep well."

Blue Eyes stopped just in front of the hanging vines that had faithfully protected our privacy from prying eyes. "_Don't bother_,_ you've made sure that I get no sleep tonight, thank you_." He signed cheekily with a smirk.

I laughed and clapped a hand over my mouth when it came out louder than I intended. I dropped my hand and reached behind my back to hold my other arm as it hung by my side, averting my gaze for a moment to try and control my blush. The effort was futile, so I looked back to Blue Eyes.

"Goodnight, Blue Eyes." I said, a laugh still ringing in my words.

He smiled again, and all I could think of was how good he looked with a smile. "_Goodnight, Little Bird_."

I plopped down on my hammock and watched the vines where he had slipped through until they stopped swinging. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out quietly, my smile staying etched into my face as I fell back onto the comfortable furs on my hammock. I grabbed one of my many pillows and hugged it to my chest before pressing my face into it and giggling like a little school girl. I burrowed into my blankets and pillows and knew right away that Blue Eyes wouldn't be the only one loosing sleep tonight. The fact alone made me want to run the entire length of the forest. But I forced myself to remain still and if I couldn't sleep, I would at least grin up at the ceiling like a madwoman.

-the next morning-

Early morning twilight was giving way to golden rays penetrating a dove colored cloud bank when I emerged from my hollow. Lisa beckoned me as soon as she saw me and I quickly made my way over to her. I nodded and smiled in greeting and she returned the gesture. In front of her were wooden bowls filled with white paint, save for a third with red paint inside.

"_Good morning_." She signed.

"_Good morning_." I returned.

"_Will you help me paint up some of the warriors? I heard that Caesar is taking them into the human city today. What's it like in the human city?"_ She added, signing quickly in her excitement.

"_Sure, I'll help you. And it's not to great over there_." I added. I had helped paint the warriors before on their way to go hunting.

_"I think it's very brave of them. Don't you think it's brave?"_ Lisa signed to me, an almost dreamy look on her face.

_"Yes."_ I agreed with a little giggle.

_"I wonder what will happen?"_ She continued, barely paying attention to me as she gazed off into the distance. I let out another giggle.

_"What's funny?"_ She said, seeming to be snapped out of her daydreaming.

"You. Why are you so interested in this? Is it the city or the one of the warriors?" I asked, giving both my guesses.

She did a bad job of trying to cover up a gasp. She hesitated to answer, looking around like she expected to see everyone in the village to be poking their heads out of their homes to see what her answer would be. Lisa heaved out a sigh.

"How did you know?" She murmured.

"I didn't. I was guessing." I smirked. "So are you going to tell me who it is?" I asked.

"Who what is?" A voice caught our attention.

Lisa and I turned to see Ash and Blue Eyes walking up to us. I surprised myself when I didn't blush at the sight of the handsome chimp. He had his normal expression on his face, but when our eyes met I seen his features soften slightly, I smiled back at the cute little smile that stretched sheepishly on his face.

"None of. Your business." Lisa replied to her brother's question. "Did you come to be painted?" She signed.

Ash nodded and made his way over, Blue Eyes following slowly as Ash plopped down in front of his older sister. Lisa wasted no more time in painting her familial canvas. When Blue Eyes sat down in front of me, I dipped my fingers into the white paint, and started drawing out the skull paint on his face. It wasn't the first time I had helped him prepare for a hunt by doing this, but now I was preparing him to go into unfamiliar territory. I was afraid of what he would think. I knew he wouldn't be seeing the inside of the colony, there was no way Caesar would bring his apes there, and an even lesser chance of the humans accepting apes into their midst. Not the way the apes did me. But Blue Eyes, and many other apes, would see the worst part of what is left of the human world. I thought of all the images painted on the walls of the abandoned outskirts, monsters with the heads and faces of apes. I recalled the ghost stories told to children to keep them from venturing too far out into the outskirts when the colony gates were open. I had been shocked and surprised when I had seen them with Dax on our way into the forest, months ago.

I had finished the skull paint and his arms and legs. Now I was drawing the rib markings on his chest, and I must say, in addition with the paint and the new scars, he looked pretty impressive. When I was done decorating his chest, I dipped a single finger into the red paint bowl, and dragged it down between his brows. I dipped my fingers into a water now land washed my hands out.

"There you go." I murmured.

He gave a small grunt and lifted his hand to sign, _"Thank you."_

_"Be safe, okay?"_ I couldn't help but sign as I looked down at my lap, my bottom lip trapped to be halfheartedly nibbled between my teeth. Blue Eyes hooked a finger under my chin only long enough to draw my gaze.

_"I'll be fine. I'll be back before you know it."_ He signed.

"I'm gonna hold you to that." I warned. He let out a small chuckle before he and Ash had to go to get their horses. Lisa and I, as well as the others who wouldn't be going with them, moved to the sides of the village. When the ones traveling on horse back rode through the courtyard, I spotted Blue Eyes right away, and was a bit surprised to see Alexander's satchel placed in front of him on his horse. A river of apes followed Caesar out of the village, and the rest of us stood vigil until the last ape was out of sight. Everyone slowly went about their days, hesitating to perform any tasks with an air of normality when so much dangerous uncertainty clouded our minds. No one knew what to expect. No one knew if every ape who had just walked out of those gates would be coming back home unharmed. I could only close my eyes and whisper a short Cherokee prayer in my head before Lisa pulled me off toward the horses.

I whistled for Zira, and Lisa along with a few other friends of ours brought out some of the younger horses to be washed in the stream near by. We normally gave the young ones of the herd their washes earlier in the day so they could warm themselves up afterward with play. The older horses were cleaned when the sun would be at its highest, so they could warm quicker from the cold mountain water. I was standing in the stream with numb ankles, and the feel brought on the memory of yesterday's watery events. I smiled at the thought, but it soon went away when I thought of the dangers and sights that boy would be facing in a few minutes. I sighed and continued to rub down Zira's star splattered coat.

-two hours later-

Rain had started pouring down from the heavens just before the apes got home. Hoots and cries of joy and delight could be heard from the pasture as the apes welcomed home their friends and loved ones. I locked the latch on the gate as most of the horses trotted toward the cave that sheltered them from the elements, though some decided to ruin their freshly cleaned coats to play in the mud. We didn't pay much mind to that or the rain as Lisa and I rushed back to the courtyard, along with the others. We separated to find our friends, though Haze found me first. He took hold of my hand and rushed around looking for Blue Eyes with me in tow. I seen a familiar streak go by and watched Harley lope toward a male bonobo. When the male spotted him, he dropped his harpoon and the scowl that had been occupying his hand and facial expression and dropped to a knee. Harley hurled himself at the bonobo, who wrapped his arms around the child with a happy smile. I was surprised to see that the bonobo was Koba, the ape who openly despised me. I've always tried to stay out of his way for fear of his viciously menacing glares toward me, but now I found myself shocked to see the ape look so calm and happy with his arms wrapped around a small, delicate child, and even more shocked when that child lifted a hand to excitedly sign, _"Father home!"_

Koba was Harley's father.

The shock of it almost caused me to trip. But my attention was reverted back to Haze when he called out. "Brother! Big brother!" Haze looked up at me with proud excitement at the fact that he had said the words correctly. I beamed back at him before looking for the ape the child had called for. I spotted Ash first, then I seen Blue Eyes' taller form through the rain lift his head toward the sound of his familial beckon. When the blue eyed ape spotted his younger brother and I, he tapped Ash's shoulder and the two came foreword. Haze threw himself up Blue Eyes' body until he was in his older brother's arms.

_"What happened? What was it like? What did Father do? What did the humans do? Tell me everything!"_ Haze signed rapidly.

All of us laughed at his enthusiasm. Blue Eyes led us over to an out cropping to escape the crying clouds. He and Ash (enthusiastically on the latter's part) explained about how they had rode into the city. They described a sound I recognized and identified to them as the sirens, meant to warn of danger. They told us how Caesar had spoken out, proudly mentioning how shocked the humans had been at the king's booming voice. They informed us of how they had given the satchel back to a man who had walked forward at their arrival. Then they had turned and walked away, leaving the humans dumbfounded.

Haze and I shared a grinning glance and turned back to the boys. "Cool!" Both of us said at the same time.

_"Brother's brave!"_ Haze signed and threw his body at Blue Eyes for a hug. He took Blue Eyes by surprise and the prince was knocked to his back, but he quickly righted himself into a sitting position as Haze hugged his neck.

_"What about Ash? I was there too!"_ Ash mocked hurt.

Haze seen Ash's face, and hugged his cousin next. _"Ash brave too!"_ Haze panted happily.

I heard my name being called, and seen Aria beckoning me. I nodded at her and turned to my favorite boys. "I'll see you guys later. I'm glad you're home safe." I added before getting up and waving goodbye at Haze. He waved back as I turned away and joined Aria.

_"I'm going to start the apprentices lessons. You like to sit in on them, don't you?"_ She invited.

"_I'd love to. Thank you_." I signed back with a smile. I accompanied the head Oba back to the healing hut and joined some of the apprentices as they waited for their lecture to begin. So after it started, it was interrupted by a commotion outside. Curiosity got the best of everyone, and class was paused to go investigate. Deja apparently felt it was something I needed to see, because she grabbed my wrist and pulled me along the side of the village, offering no explanation. She brought me to stand on an overhang where we could see into the circle many of the apes were making. Caesar stood on his boulder that he used to address the colony, staring down into the center of the circle. A gasp tore it's way into my mouth as I spotted a figure that was most definitely not human.

A human was in the village.

"No! No!" He shouted, looking back at where someone behind him had shouted about lies. I recognized the voice immediately. Malcolm was on his knees before Caesar. Malcolm was here. I felt the blood drain from my face and my stomach dropped to the ground. Apes everywhere were making a ruckus of alarmed and some angry hoots and grunts. Not a good sign. My head was swimming as I crouched down, not wanting the man to see me. I felt Deja's hand on the back of my neck, trying to offer comfort.

Caesar raised a hand and silence fell like death upon the apes I had come to know and see as family. "Show. Me." Caesar growled out.


	14. Chapter 14

My Little Bird- 14

"Show. Me."

Malcolm nodded and slowly rose to his feet, his eyes switching warily between Luca and Koba, who stood behind him. Koba's harpoon was poised above his head, the sharp steel tip threatening to sever Malcolm's spine with just a push in the right direction. Caesar jumped down from the rock, and moved past the human slowly, his eyes glaring into Malcolm's, and I worried when the man didn't avert his gaze. Apes swarmed around Malcolm, putting themselves between he and their king as Caesar led Malcolm out of the village. Deja and I followed behind at the back of the group, and I was worried when I felt the eyes of the apes on me. I would have given anything to know what they were thinking when their irises fell upon my human body.

Malcolm was moved foreword, and Caesar stayed close, watching him like a hawk through a piercing green scowl. No one was happy that this man was here, and I had to say, neither was I. We were brought in a familiar direction, and once the log jam came into view, I knew where he was going. Deja and I shared a confused glance. _The dam?_ Malcolm traveled down the ladder beside the dam and I didn't dare to peek over the edge until half the apes had filed inside. When I got the courage to go inside the machine, I ducked my head down and moved foreword slowly as I listened to what Malcolm was saying.

"We had electricity for a little while. Two people were sent up here to fix it. They never came back, but they got the job done." Malcolm's voice seemed to waver, but he cleared his throat and his voice rang out, clear and strong. "But the power went out again after an earthquake a few weeks ago. Did you feel it? We tried to figure out if it was a malfunction on our side of the bridge, but there's nothing wrong with the equipment there. So the only solution is that something happened here. Now, if you'll just let us do our work here-"

He was interrupted by a certain bonobo. "You. Brought. Others." Familiarity rang in my brain at Koba's accusation. I heard a silencing grunt from Caesar, and after a few moments hesitation, Malcolm spoke up again.

"Just a few... Depending on the damage we only need a few days here. This is your place, I know that. But my home is suffering, this dam can help us live again. Please. I have a family to take care of, I just want to get this thing going so I can raise my son. If you don't believe my intentions are true...then you can kill me."

I gave a silent gasp as I heard the words I had spoken all those weeks ago. Silence befell the dam as we awaited the king's answer. Minutes ticked silently by before I heard the intake of breath as Caesar readied himself for speech.

"No. Guns. Humans, stay without. Weapons." Caesar growled, and I knew from his voice that his expression relayed his seriousness on the matter. I let out a relieved sigh that they wouldn't have a chance to hurt anyone else. I wouldn't have thought humans would hurt an ape for no good reason, but Ash's new scar reprimanded my ignorance.

Malcolm sighed in relief and I could here the gratitude ringing in his voice. "Thank you."

Caesar seemed to notice me, as he leaned to the side a little to meet my gaze. I held my breath when Malcolm followed the ape king's line of sight. Malcolm turned the rest of his body, the look on his face blank with shock. The apes parted like the Red Sea to see what the human was looking at. I glanced up from staring at the ground as Malcolm walked slowly closer. I lifted my head when I heard my name come quietly from his mouth.

"...Raina? Is that you..?" He sounded afraid of the answer. I glanced up as he approached, and took a step back slightly.

"Malcolm." I whispered, looking up again. His lips were parted with amazement and I let out a little cry of surprise when he scooped me up into a hug. I was lifted off my feet for a moment and when I was set back on the ground, Malcolm continued to squeeze me in his arms. His hand stroked the back of my head before he stepped back, keeping his finger tips on my shoulders as he examined me.

"Rain! I thought you were dead!" He hugged me to him tightly again. "I missed you so much." He whispered in a frighteningly broken voice. I pushed away with my hands on his chest, gazing up at him in astonishment at his words.

"You..missed me?" I couldn't keep the disbelief from my voice.

"Of course, you're my-" he stopped himself, and I quirked my head in curiosity. "You're like family to me." Malcolm then glanced around the room, then back to me. "Where's Dax?"

I froze. I didn't know what to do. Memories flowed over me. A gray beanie, shining brown eyes. My brother's laugh rang in my ears. Then darker images started flashing over Dax's smiling face. A figure huanched over in the pouring rain, sickly pale and glowing like a ghost in the dim light. My brother's sweat coated face as I dabbed a wet cloth over him, futilely trying to bring him back from his delirium. The emotions I felt the morning after I woke up, only to find that Dax wouldn't wake up with me, when I had found that my big brother would no longer be in my life, washed over me anew. I clenched my eyes closed and turned my face away, wrapping my arms around myself and wishing it was Dax holding me. Salty tears slipped down my face, betraying my pain. Traitorous bastards. I forced myself to take a deep, meant to be soothing breath, only to let out a little sob when Malcolm uttered my name, his voice strained with confusion as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I took a step back, out of his reach. My envy of his ignorance burned the perimeter of my core without quarter.

I shook my head, and forced myself to look up, tears still burning my odd colored eyes. "He didn't..." My voice failed me. "...he got sick."

Understanding flared in Malcolm's eyes, then bloomed into denial as he took a disbelieving step back. "No...no he's not..." Malcolm dropped to a knee, his head bowed as one hand covered his face. He was still as stone but I could see the pain shaking his skeleton. I took a step back, not knowing what to do. I had no idea he would react this way. He looked more hurt than he should have, but then Malcolm's earlier statement echoed in my head.

_"You're like family to me."_

I desperately needed a stronghold right now. As if hearing my thoughts, I felt two arms wrap around my shoulders. My mind immediately said Blue Eyes' name, but when I glanced to the side I seen it was Deja, her dark face screaming concern. She hooted softly to me, trying to offer me console. I hummed back and placed one of my hands over hers gratefully. The kind bonobo rested her chin on my shoulder and used her other hand to turn my skull in her direction, placing our foreheads together. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, feeling much better now that I was aware that I was not on my own. After about a minute Deja tapped my cheek with her palm, asking me with her eyes if I was alright now.

I nodded as our heads parted. I took another deep breath to try to calm my nerves more. _"Thank you."_ I hoped my eyes conveyed how grateful I was as I tried to convey the same amount of sincerity with the sign.  
>Deja nodded at me with a smile.<p>

_"Of course."_ She signed back, giving me a comforting smile. With one more self-soothing sigh, I turned back to Malcolm just as he was wiping his eyes and standing up.

"Rain..." He seemed to be looking for words.

"Why are you here?" I muttered.

"The earthquake...You fixed the dam before, didn't you? That was you." Malcolm said, not seeming to be thinking correctly. I kept my eyes on the ground but nodded anyway. Malcolm's head turned away, and through my peripheral vision I seen he was looking to Caesar. I took another step away from Malcolm, glad he couldn't see the action. I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but he had already touched me more than I was ready for right now. The last human to touch me had been Dax. I didn't know why it was affecting me like this. Malcolm would never hurt me, I knew that well, but the contact was just too much for my psyche right now. Every time Malcolm's skin touched me I felt like I was somehow betraying my brother. I just wanted Malcolm and whoever else to leave. I was surprised by this want but I wanted everything to go back to normal. I startled when I felt a pair of hands on me again, but I calmed down once I recognized Blue Eyes' sky infused orbs. He lifted his hands from my shoulders for a moment, but placed them back on me once he seen that I had calmed down. He started herding me out of the dam, and I was surprised to see apes moving out, Malcolm was no where to be seen.

_"Are you okay?"_ Blue Eyes signed, stopping us from moving.

I watched the last ape file outside before looked up into his eyes through a watery screen. "I don't know." I answered honestly.

Blue Eyes seemed to know just what I needed, and pulled me into his arms. I moved my face into the nape of his neck and let the tears spill as I clung to the handsome ape. I sniffed and a sob made my body jump slightly, and Blue Eyes shushed me and started rubbing my back. He allowed me to cry as he stood there, encasing me in his strong arms comfortingly. I sucked in a breath, trying to calm myself down, but I found it was unneeded, because Blue Eyes shushed me quietly once again before he laid his lips down on my neck, laying warm, slow pecks down onto my skin. It was doing amazing wonders to calm the storm raging in my chest, and I felt my heart rate slow it's galloping speeds as I leaned my head down on his soft shoulder. I sighed and lifted my head after what may have been two minutes of comfortable silence.

"Why do they have to be here?" I murmured sadly.

Blue Eyes heaved out a sigh and shrugged his broad shoulders. _"Let's go. Father will wonder where we are."_

I nodded. "Where did they all go? I wasn't paying attention."

_"To go get the human's team."_ He signed, pulling me toward the stairs that led up out of the dam. The mention of the team brought on more thoughts. How many more were here? Where were they? I wanted to know why they couldn't just find some alternate power source and leave us alone. I was wary to meet these other humans, every time I had come in contact with most humans before, they had bullied me harshly, save for a few. I was reluctant to turn in the direction the others had headed in. But Blue Eyes coaxed me onto a horse, and surprised me by pulling himself up onto the horse's back behind me.

He reached forward and took the reins in one hand, and wrapped an arm around my waist with the other. The action left me dumbfounded and shocked for a few seconds before my nerves told my brain to wake the hell up, and I became completely aware of every muscle that moved and clenched in his body as his chest was pressed against my back. Blue Eyes nudged the horse into motion with his feet, and I was more than aware of my backside rubbing between his thighs as my body was moved by the horse's gait. _And just when I was getting over blushing!_ I grumbled in my head as I felt the warmth on my cheeks. Blue Eyes rested his chin on my shoulder and my mind blanked out again before I let myself relax. I allowed him to hold me as we trekked through the forest, the horse's hooves stamping down on a twig or kicking a pebble every now and then.

Too soon for my liking, we started spotting the dark form of apes in the branches, and Blue Eyes swung himself down off the horse, but not before laying another kiss to my neck. I took a deep breath, trying to purge the blissful fog away from my brain as I took the reins into my own hands. I watched Blue Eyes climb into the trees and move above me, keeping pace. I nudged the horse a little faster, and had to be a bit firmer, this horse didn't need as light a touch as Zira did. Blue Eyes upped his speed as well, and we kept glancing up and down at each other. We were running an unofficial race, I knew, but I was reluctant to race up to the apes and make a scene. But we continued our game until I was in a throng of apes. I slowed the horse down as I seen a man with a plastic crate in his hands walking foreword.

He lacked hair on his head but stubble shaded the side of his skull as well as his jaw. The man didn't seem to notice me as he walked past, seeming to be internally grumbling. I dismounted and walked foreword after an orangutan took the horse's reins for me, and I thanked him quietly. I walked along, looking a familiar face (preferably Blue Eyes) but while I was scanning the mass of furry bodies, something collided with my left shoulder, caused part of my body to jerk back a bit.

"Sorry-" I cut off when the boy I accidentally ran into stopped mid sentence with a slack jaw. I instantly recognized him, and I knew he recognized me too.

"...Rain?" He gasped. "Holy _shit_"

"Hi, Alexander." I said quietly.

"You're alive?! Holy shit I thought you were dead!" He gasped.

I shook my head. "Well, I'm not."

"Where have you- you've been here this whole time?" Alexander's eyes were wide.

"Where else would I be?" I asked.

"I don't know. Not here." He still had the look of a fish.

"What's wrong with here?" I asked, getting a little defensive. This place was my home and I loved it, I didn't like the way he had said it like it was a bad place.

"Nothing, I didn't mean-...I'm just...really surprised to see you." Alexander's eyes then started to glance down me, taking in my appearance. I took a step back self consciously, uncomfortable.

"You look different." He commented. I glanced down at myself. I guessed I did.

"I know." I said. At that moment Malcolm walked up with another crate.

"Alex, you can catch up later. We need to get camp set up before dark." With that, he nudged his son away, but not before Alexander could turn and say, "See you later, Pocahontas."

I gazed after him for a moment before turning with a role of my eyes. He had always made up stupid nicknames just to get on my nerves. While in the middle of rolling my eyes, Blue Eyes found me. He gave a questioning gesture at my annoyed expression.

"Same old Alexander." I shook my head while throwing a forearm to the side slightly to indicate I had been talking about the boy who just left.

The next human to approach was a woman with blonde hair in a side braid. As soon as she saw me, she dropped what she had been carrying, and the toolbox hit the ground with a muted thud. She stared at me for a long time and blinked her eyes as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. I freaked out, but I was too timid to act on it as the woman took a step forward, arms raised toward me.

"Lana..?" The woman rasped in disbelief. I gasped at the sound of my mother's name. I shook my head at her, not daring to let my mind start running.

The woman took a closer look at me, and she finally seemed to notice my eyes. "No...it couldn't be." She stepped closer.

"You're Rain Harley, aren't you?" She said, still staring at my face.

My eyes widened. "H-how do you know my name?"

The woman smiled, lifting her hands over her mouth as she looked me over. "You look just like your mother!" She breathed.

The woman reached out and grabbed one of my hands in both of hers, shaking it in greeting. "I'm Ellie. You're mom talked about you and your brother all the time. I'm sorry I never got a chance to make introductions." She said.

I gaped at her. "You knew my mother?" Then I felt like an idiot. She had called me by her name.

The woman...Ellie, nodded. "She was a good friend of mine."

Ellie than gasped, as if a thought had occurred to her, the sound made both Blue Eyes and I jump. "What are you doing up here? All alone?"

"I'm not alone. I live here." I said, not a bit of timidness or regret rang in my words, only causal pride.

Ellie turned her head to the side a bit. "With the apes?" She asked for clarification.

I nodded. "Yes."

Her eyebrows went up a little. "Really?" She sounded fascinated by the fact, and I wasn't exactly sure how to feel about that. I didn't realize I had taken a step back until the back of my fingers brushed against Blue Eyes'.

"This whole time you've been living with apes?" She said.

I was getting annoyed. "Yes." I answered, letting her know with my eyes that I was growing annoyed with the circular conversation. She picked up on it right away, though Ellie's smile widened and she placed a hand over her mouth. Not what I was expecting.

"Your mother used to use that same look." She murmured nostalgically. It was getting harder to keep my mind away from my mother. I looked down and blinked away tears. I could feel Blue Eyes leaning closer, lifting an arm to lay a comforting hand on the back of my neck. He could see how much I was trying to hide.

"Um...could-could we not talk about my mom?" I asked, making eye contact in hopes Ellie would understand.

Ellie's face dropped. "Oh..oh of course. I'm sorry, that was really insensitive of me. I'm glad you're okay." With that, she bent to pick up her toolbox, but was interrupted by another voice.

"Who the hell is that?" The voice demanded. I turned to see the man who had passed by me before, along with two more men. All three pairs of eyes were locked on me, and I took another step back, the back of my hand now laying on the back of Blue Eyes'. The handsome ape lightly rubbed my hand with the back of his fingers, and I was grateful for the support. Blue Eyes then inched closer, and his hand clasped around mine. I glanced at the light hued ape when he squeezed my hand, and seen him glaring at the man who had spoken.

"Carver, this is Rain Harley." Ellie said carefully.

"Harley?" One of the men behind him said. "The Harley bloodline is dead." I flinched. Blue Eyes squeezed my hand again, and my fingers clenched around his.

"Kemp." A new voice snapped. It was Malcolm.

"Get moving. We still need to get the tents up." There was an underlying warning in his tone.

The first man, Carver, wasn't done here though. "Why's that girl here? How did she get here?"

"She was the first up here. She's the one who brought the lights back on before." Malcolm didn't look like he wanted to waste time explaining.

"Dreyfus sent _her?_ Why would he send a girl to a man's job?" He demanded, glaring at Malcolm.

"Maybe because she's good at what she does, you sexist prick." Alexander said as he was walking past, not stopping as he kept walking back down the path. I was surprised by Alexander's choice to defend me, but then again, I didn't know why. It's not like he was a stranger, I had known him and his father more than half my life. But the boy was naturally quiet, and for him to speak up like that was less than usual.

"What did he just say? You gonna let your kid get away with that?" Carver glowered at Malcolm.

"Yep. I agree with him. Now either get moving or you can sleep in the truck." Malcolm growled.

Carver was about to protest, but the other man thought better of it, and pulled Carver away. "Come on man, let's just go. Leave the kid alone." With that, they departed.

"Sorry about that, Rain. No one is particularly excited that he's here." Malcolm apologized.

"Then why is he here?" I asked.

"He worked for Water&Power, he knows how the dam works." Malcolm explained.

"If he has to be here, keep him under control, please. When are you going to the dam tomorrow?" I added.

"In the morning. Why?"

"Because I'm going to help." With that, I turned and pulled Blue Eyes away with me.

"Where are you going?" Malcolm called.

"I'm going home. It's getting late." I looked over my shoulder, but didn't stop walking. Blue Eyes and I let go of each other, but our hands continued to made no more sound, but I could feel his gaze on me as we walked, and I was glad when the thick brush and tree line spared us from sight.

_"You're going to help them?"_ Blue Eyes signed in the fading light.

_"If I help, they'll be gone sooner."_ I signed back. We found a few horses tethered to a tree as some of the apes were not done watching the humans. Blue Eyes gestured for me to get on the animal, and when I was seated comfortably the blue eyed chimp untied the reins and led the horse through the brush. I wondered what he was doing, but stayed silent as he led us through the forest. Soon, he stopped the horse and got on behind me again. I realized that the reason he had led us away was so the other apes wouldn't see him riding with me. We had a bit of a silent agreement to keep our newfound (and welcomed) intimacy from the others, as neither of us knew just how they would react.

I relaxed into his arms as he pulled me against his chest. Blue Eyes slowed the horse to a leisurely walk and laid his chin on my shoulder again. My head somehow found a way to lean my temple on his without me knowing about it until Blue Eyes nuzzled me back slightly. I sighed contentedly, and I felt Blue Eyes' fingertips work their way under the hem of my shirt. The pads of his fingers found the claw marks marring my skin, and he traced his fingers over the slashes. I tried not to giggle, but he felt my body tremble as I held in the laughter trying to escape me. I felt his lips stretch into a smile next to my neck, and I placed my hand over his large digits, trying to cease his ministrations on my scarred midriff.

"That tickles." I whispered.

"I know." He whispered back.

We fell into silence after that, our fingers laced. It was getting darker, the sun a flaming ball dipping beneath the cool shaded green of the treetops. Blue Eyes let out a sad sigh, and nudged the horse to a faster pace. I knew what was on his mind as soon as he started reaching his thumb away from our hands to caress one of my scar marks again. He was worried about predators, probably specifically cougars or bears. After a quick glance around I was relieved of his precautions, it was much darker now, but I could see the smoke of the bonfires roasting elk and venison in the sky, a few yards away. Blue Eyes decided to slide off the horse then, or risk being seen in such close proximity by one of the Gorilla Guards. I took up the reins and straightened my back as Blue Eyes once again took to the trees. I broke through the tree line first, and I heard Blue Eyes slide down a tree trunk.

"Hello. Blue Eyes, Rain." Luca greeted in his deep voice.

"Hi, Luca." I replied quietly, and I heard a grunt from Blue Eyes.

We continued inside, and I hopped off the horse. A gorilla took the reins from me, and I thanked her gratefully. She nodded back at me and I was relieved of the lack of hostility in the eyes that glanced at me; I had been afraid that the apes would react negatively to me now that they were aware of the other humans' presences. But I seen none of my feared expectations. Two Obas approached me, one was Deja, and the other was a dainty little chimpanzee named Sparrow. I greeted both with a smile, and Deja seemed happy about it.

_"Feeling better?" _Deja signed.

I took a deep breath. "I think so."

_"Come eat with us."_ Sparrow invited, reaching her hand out to gently pull me toward a hearth. I complied, accompanying them to the table to load up on food before going back to the hearth they picked. I ate up, listening to the crunch of wood shattering and the clang of metal denting as the last of the guns the humans brought were destroyed. I was glad that the apes had listened to my request to leave my bow in tact, thinking back to my second encounter with the apes. I smiled at the memory of Dax's bullheaded stubbornness that day.

Sparrow nudged my knee, and I looked up at her. _"What are you thinking about?"_

_"My brother."_ I answered.

She gave an understanding hum and nodded. _"It's been a while. Have you gone to visit him lately?"_ She asked. A small, quick inhale sounded from her and she quickly added, _"If you don't mind me asking."_

I shook my head and placed a hand on her knee, letting know I didn't mind before I signed, _"I went a few days ago."_

The colony knew I often went into the forest alone to visit my brother's grave. I was aware of the times they had followed me, and I wasn't as upset about it as I would have originally guessed I would have been, I knew that I was human, and some apes would always mistrust me at least a little, due to some of their histories. I didn't blame them, I was the same. I thought about the way I had acted today, timid, nervous, and frowned. It was the same feeling of paranoia I used to get whenever I stepped outside my apartment door back in San Francisco. I had been badly mistreated by humans my whole life, save for a few friends here and there, but that roster was mostly cleared by the Simian Flu. I again felt an indignant rush go through me at the thought of the humans in the forest. I wanted them gone, they ignited memories and feelings I would rather leave behind, and I was surprised with the strength of my feeling. I would have thought that I would have been grateful seeing Malcolm and Alexander again, and I was, I realized now that I had missed them, but my want for them all to leave outweighed it. That made me feel bad.

I sighed and excused myself, bidding my friends farewell before heading toward the Obas healing hut. I picked up some herbs to induce sleep, not trusting my mind for a moment to let me sleep without it. I then slipped between the vine curtain that shielded me from the world. I slipped off my clothes and burrowed beneath the furs stacked on my hammock, preferring to sleep without them on some nights. I hugged one of my pillows to my chest, and purged my mind from anything related to the new intruders in my home. The first thing that fit that criteria was Blue Eyes, more specifically, the way he had held me in my time of need, and the feel of his mouth on my neck. I fell asleep with those thoughts in my head.

-the next morning-

My pleasant dream floated away and dissipated as my sleep was disturbed by the shaking of my shoulder. I let out a little moan of protest, too tired to open my eyes. My arm was shaken again and I let out a louder moan, trying to get the message across to whoever was trying to disturb me that I was too tired for anything.

"Rain." A voice whispered my name. Goosebumps traveled up my body by the way the voice whispered my identity. I allowed my eyes to slit open slightly to see who was capable of taking my name and making a brand new sound out of it, and came face to face with Blue Eyes. I drew in a soothing breath as I blinked open my eyes a bit more, sitting up.

"Blue? What's going on?" I asked, rubbing sleep out of my eyes.

"We are..going to the. Humans soon. Time to wake up." He murmured. In my sleep fogged state, it took me a few moments to realize that Blue Eyes namesakes were not on my face, but below it. A tired glance down was all it took to remind me that I wore nothing but a bra and panties. I was too tired to blush, so I pointed to where one of my shirts lay over my backpack and asked my friend to hand it to me. Forgetting myself again in my fatigued stupor, I lifted my arms above my head and arched my back in a nice stretch. I dropped my arms and rolled my shoulders, trying to wake my muscles up.

I moved my hair out of my face and held it scrunched at the back of my head a moment before dropping my arm again. It wasn't until I glanced up again that I remembered Blue Eyes was here, standing beside a barely living fireplace, staring at me with one of my shirts hanging from his fingers. He snapped out of it when eye contact was established, moving forward a few steps before tossing me my shirt. I pulled it over my head and when I let it fall over my abdomen, Blue Eyes was beside my hammock. I leaned over and laid my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes as I attempted to say hello without speech or signing. Blue Eyes accepted the gesture with an arm around my back, but after a while gave me another shake.

"I'm awake." I murmured.

"You alright?" He asked.

I sat up straight and nodded, giving my head a shake to try and clear the fog. _"Sleeping herbs."_ I gestured, once again trying to blink into full consciousness. He grunted in understanding, but then he surprised me, and I was only awake enough to gasp when Blue Eyes wrapped his arms around me and pulled me out of my warm hammock and into his arms before placing me on my feet. I kept my hands on his chest and he made no move to remove his hands from my hips as I gazed down curiously at the ground. I heard Blue Eyes chuckle, and looked up at him from underneath sleep lidded lashes.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"You're really. Cute when you're. Tired." He chuckled.

"Just when I'm tired, huh?" I joked with a smirk, the pleasure of his compliment was waking me up.

"No. You're cute when you're, awake too." He added with a smile. I smiled back up at him.

"Good morning." I said quietly.

"Morning, Little Bird." He murmured back, leaning his head down. Our foreheads fell against each other, and my hands moved up to his shoulders as he held my hips softly. After a few quiet moments, I became aware of the rain pattering softly outside. When we parted, I gave his cheek a kiss before moving to get a pair of pants. After pulling them up I moved to get one of my jackets, but after a glance outside I second guessed myself.

"It's going to be cold out there, huh?" I murmured to myself before setting it down and grabbing my original hoodie and pulling up the hood. The jackets I made were still terrible at locking in heat.

I snapped my tool belt around my waist as I walked back to where Blue Eyes stood. I heaved out a tired sigh. "Let's go."

He followed me out of the vines and into the drizzling rain. Blue Eyes then led the way to where Zira was standing, with Lisa trying to calm the horse as the animal threw her head. Lisa gratefully handed me the reins with an exasperated huff. I moved to pat the horse's shoulders.

"Easy, Zira." I couldn't keep the groan completely out of my voice. "It's too early for this."

After a moment dedicated to calming the horse, I hopped up onto her back as a few apes, including Caesar, rode past. I rode on between Ash and Blue Eyes, working hard to keep up a conversation with the two as well as control Zira, who was being extra fussy today. She wanted to run. We reached the clearing Caesar had told the humans to camp in in a matter of minutes. Much to my annoyance. The humans were still asleep when we arrived, and the horses were tied to trees before the apes started lounging around, waiting patiently for the Homo-sapiens to awaken. I joined Maurice and Blue Eyes on a log, and took a glance into the open tent. Why would they leave the tent open during the night? I fought the urge to shake my head at their confusing stupidity. I seen Alexander asleep with a thick comic book open on his chest. Typical of him, I remembered. I settled in, taking the stone and tiny flint knife I had out of my jacket pocket, and started working on the totem stone I had started carving.

Soon, the boy stirred and I glanced up to see him sitting up, his eyes confused at our presence. I refused to make eye contact with him. I heard Maurice make his chuffs as he watched inside the tent, but still I refused to look up from my work. Moments later, I heard the hiss of comforters rubbing together softly as Malcolm and Ellie rose from their individual sleeping bags. After awkward greeting and a fast breakfast on the humans part, we were moving again. I rode beside a friend of mine to the log jam, signing back and forth with the orangutan. I hopped off Zira and hoped she would behave herself as I followed the humans into the dam.

"What are you doing?" One of the men that was with Carver the day before asked. Not Kemp, the other one.

"Helping." Was all I said, looking to Malcolm. He nodded and waved me over. I gazed around the room and seen a few chunks of concrete on the ground, and realized they must have fallen loose during the earthquake weeks ago. I seen nothing damaged enough to make the entire city's electrical network fail, so I suggested we checked the water turbines. We followed a pair of stairs down, deeper into the dam until we found a large porthole with a metal label on the wall. It was small, and when the men heaved the rusted hinges open, we found a few little trollies that had to be traveled on by laying on your belly and using your arms to pull yourself along. Malcolm went first, then me, then the other man who's name I was unaware of.

We reached a second porthole at the end that lacked a door, and we shined our flashlights inside the pitch black room. Malcolm crawled through first, the waved me in. Once inside I seen the cause of the city's power outage, a mass of tree roots clogged the turbines, and I had a hard time speculating on how it got there. I let out a disbelieving, "How did-?" but I trailed off when I realized that I had begun to speak it in Cherokee.

"How are we gonna clear this blockage?" One of the men shouted over the sound of the water trickling heavily through the cracks in the wood.

"We're gonna hafta blow it." Kemp said, and with that Malcolm urged us all out, and back up to where Alexander and Ellie waited in case something happened. Malcolm explained the situation while the three men prepped up blocks of C4. I was secretly relived when Malcolm banned me from going back down there to set it off, and I waited at the top of the ladder with Ellie and Alexander as the men went back in. We sat in silence, Ellie shining a flashlight down onto the little platform the men would be coming out of. It took a few minutes for Alexander to break the silence with talk.

"I didn't know you had a daughter." He said, and for a moment I was confused before I realized he was talking to Ellie.

The blond woman turned her head to look at the boy, hesitating before she nodded her head slightly. "Yeah."

Alexander was quiet for a moment, thinking about something before he spoke up again. "What was her name?"

Ellie hesitated to answer, and as her silence drew out I thought she wouldn't answer before a small smile stretched her lips as she murmured the name, "Sarah."

Alexander's gloves hissed slightly as he moved his hands over each other for a second. "I'm really sorry."

"I still have you and your dad." She said quietly. I gazed at the woman and words I had heard Malcolm say almost a year ago came back to me. He and my mom had been talking about my mother's job. They were talking about someone named Ellie, and I remember Malcolm asking, "My cousin or the lab-tech?" My mother had answered, and now I knew who Ellie really was. She was Malcolm's cousin.

Alexander nodded and looked down for a moment, before nodding and whispering, "Yeah."

All of a sudden, the world shook and a great, muted _BOOM!_ filled my ears before tremors started up, shaking up a decade's worth in dust and I could hear the sound of rocks and concrete colliding. The three of us jumped up.

"Malcolm!" Ellie and I shouted.

"Dad?!" Alexander cried as Ellie shined the flashlight down, but the only good it really did was to illuminate the cloud of dust around us in a white beam. I could hear screaming coming from inside the caved in porthole and we jumped up as the tremors lessened, and Ellie, Alexander and then I hurried carefully down the ladder leading to the platform.

"Malcolm!"

"Dad!"

"Can you hear us?!" We all called and cried.

No one answered, but we could hear the men inside continue to yell. A deep creaking noise sounded above us, and Alexander and I moved to the foot of the ladder to gaze up to see who was approaching. I seen two chimps and the familiar head of Luca peer down at us.

_"They're trapped!"_ I signed up.

Luca huffed in understanding and wasted no more time in sliding down the ladder. We moved aside as he and the two chimps I recognized vaguely started removing the heavy rubble. They plopped the useless obstacles into the water below us as they removed the rocks. Soon they broke through, and moved aside the last concrete slab aside as Ellie shined a flashlight inside the hole. Alexander and I stayed aside as they reached in and pulled the first man out. Carver. His leg had a bloody gash on the shin, and he groaned loudly as he hobbled out. When all the men were out, we moved carefully to get them up to the surface, slowly navigating them through the logjam to sit on a discarded log on the pebbly river bank. Ellie and I went right to treating their injuries, with the help of their first aid kit and Alexander.

Carver could be heard groaning in pain as Ellie and Alexander placed a disinfectant soaked bandage to his bad leg, and I worked silently as the third man, who I now knew was called Foster. He was soon good to go and I started helping Malcolm, who insisted that everyone else be treated before him. He wasn't hurt too bad, just filthy, but he did have a bad cut on his arm. I bandaged it quickly and efficiently before Ellie called me over, Carver being a pain in the ass to treat.

I heard a familiar _'imp, imp'_ sound and turned to see Haze was present. A smile stretched my lips as the child climbed Ellie's back, curious about the woman's different colored hair. Ellie was smiling at the baby, watching him explore her. Haze soon crawled down her arm and into Alexander's lap, looking around at everything. Then he spotted me and let out a happy squeak, and l caught him with a happy laugh as he jumped at me.

_"Rain!"_ He signed happily, as if he hadn't seen me in a year.

_"Haze!"_ I signed back enthusiastically.

_"Are the new apes going to stay with us now?"_ He signed.

I raised a brow and smiled at the adorably ignorant child. _"No."_ I signed.

_"Why are they here? What was the big noise?"_ He asked.

_"To fix something. They'll leave soon."_ I signed back.

Haze's face dropped and he looked like he was about to cry. _"Rain not go too, right?"_

I 'awed' before signing back. _"Rain stay."_

Haze squealed happily and hugged me before giving my cheek a kiss. He then restarted his exploration, and I was aware of Blue Eyes watching his little brother vigilantly from a few feet away, though a paid no mind as I kept my gaze on Haze. The child was leaning over Alexander's knees to peek into Alexander's shoe, pulling the leather tongue back to inspect it. Ellie laughed at the child's antics before presenting her finger, like one would a human baby. Haze held it in both hands and looked at her hand curiously, as if he expected a prize to be stowed away there.

"Hey, buddy." Alexander said quietly. Alexander jumped slightly when Haze turned rather quickly, but calmed down when Haze scooted himself off the tall boys knees and to the ground. Haze went back to inspecting Alexander's shoes while the three of us, watched amusedly.

"What are you doin?" We looked up at Carver's voice. "You finished?"

I immediately grew annoyed, he just had to ruin the moment didn't he? _He's just jealous Haze isn't interested in him,_ I thought irritatedly. "What are you lookin at?" Carver asked Alexander.

Alexander just huffed out a laugh and shook his head. He and Ellie shared a moment of smiling eye contact before going back to cleaning up their supplies. But I kept my gaze on Carver as he looked over at Haze, mistrust blooming in my stomach as his eyes fell upon the young child. Haze found his way into an opened toolbox, and as soon as I seen Carver jump up, instinct took over.

"Hey, hey!" Carver started to move toward the baby, but I was quicker, shoving my elbow into the man's gut and half standing, half crouching with an arm out, protectively trying to shield Haze.

"Back off!" I hissed.

Carver gasped in a breath and slapped me hard enough to send my body rolling to the side as Carver continued toward Haze. Blue Eyes let out a shriek, and advanced as Carver swiped a rag out from under the poor baby. Blue Eyes shoved him down, and Haze quickly skittered out of the box and to me. He hid his face in my chest and I wrapped a protective arm around him, moving my body toward the direction Caesar was in. Kemp moved forward but before he could do anything Blue Eyes had shoved him effortlessly with an arm down onto Carver. Foster moved forward next but all Blue Eyes needed to do was scream in his face and the man instantly backed down. Carver was up again and grabbed something from the toolbox.

"Hey!" Carver yelled. "I'll kill you!"

"Blue Eyes!" I screamed as I recognized a gun in Carver's hands. He clicked the safety off and pointed it at Blue Eyes.

Blue Eyes paused, and let out a hiss, baring his fangs at the man. Before I knew what was happening next, Caesar was there with the gun in his hands, Carver on the floor. Caesar held the gun over his head, ready to use it as a club to hit Carver with, when Malcolm intervened.

"Don't! Don't, Caesar, no!" He yelled. Carver's hands were held up over his face, and he looked ready to wet himself.

I could hear Caesar's angry huffing as he panted, his head turned to look at the weapon in his hands. "Said. No. Guns." The king pointed it at Malcolm, and my stomach dropped. I may have wanted him to leave but I didn't want him dead. Caesar pointed the barrel at Ellie and Alexander for a few seconds, and they recoiled a few steps, then the barrel was pointing at Kemp, who backed up against a log and held up his hands. Foster staggered back as well when he found himself looking into the business end of the gun. Caesar then turned back to Malcolm, lowering the gun as he started to control his breathing, and tossed the gun into the river.

"I didn't know." Malcolm shook his head.

Caesar started walking forward, and Haze peeked out from over my arm and scrambled toward his father. Caesar scooped him up with an arm and cradled him in his hands.

"Human. Leave. _Now_!" He yelled in Malcolm's face as he passed. My heart skipped a beat, fearing that that included me too, but I was distracted when Haze started struggling in Caesar's grip, and when he dropped to the ground he ran toward me on all fours. Haze hugged me and started moaning miserably, as if he wanted to cry, and I hugged him back, looking up at Caesar to await his decision. Caesar waved me up, and I positioned myself into a crouch, one knee on the ground as I held Haze to my chest. I wasn't sure what to do, so I reached up a supplicating palm. Caesar swiped it and then grabbed my forearm, pulling me up to my feet. He nodded at me as he continued on toward the horses. I followed, eager to leave.

I had a limp as I walked, one of the stones on the ground had cut into my shin, and was stinging harshly. I could feel Blue Eyes' presence behind me as I made my way toward Zira. I hoisted myself up, being extra careful of Haze in my arms. The baby refused to leave my arms, so I tucked him in comfortably before I glanced back at the river bank. My eyes met Malcolm's instantly, and I tried to figure out what the emotion in his irises was. I looked away, nudging Zira in the direction of home. Rocket and Blue Eyes rode closely next to me, so close that our shins brushed every now and again.

The apes were hooting and shouting, angered by the events. I blocked all of it out, focusing on calming Haze's fussing. I shushed him gently and rocked him a little, humming out a soothing little tune. He seemed to like the way my chest vibrated when I hummed, and pressed the side of his face into my breasts. Caesar set a quick pace, and one hand I held Haze securely to my chest while the other directed Zira as she finally got to let off some steam. I had to work hard to keep her from passing up everyone else. When we entered the village, an Oba messenger was leaping down onto Caesar's boulder, shrieking and pointing up into the branches of Home Tree.

I dismounted, and tried to hand Haze to Blue Eyes so the family could enter their home, but the child made such a fuss Caesar just gestured for me so follow them up. I grew worried, if an Oba was freaking out about something in the penthouse of the tree, something had to be wrong with Cornelia. As we rushed up the stairs, I felt Haze cling tightly to me. When we turned the corner into Caesar's personal home, three Obas surrounded Cornelia, who lay in her bed with a pained expression. A maskless Aria started hooting worriedly when she seen Caesar.

Caesar approached his wife, taking her hand and moving toward her head. I could hear the queen's breathing from where I stood, and I noticed her face looked paler than it should have. Worry dripped into my belly as I settled beside the wall as Blue Eyes moved behind his mother's head. I was grateful that Haze was refusing to take his face out of my chest, I didn't think it would serve him too well to see his mother in such a condition. But at a second glance, I realized the tiny prince was asleep, the excitement must have sapped the normally playful chimp's energy. I stayed silent as the king and eldest prince stroked Cornelia's fur and face, trying to calm her, though her raspy breathing got no better. All of a sudden there was a commotion outside, growing closer and closer. Then I heard a voice.

"Please, please I just need to speak to him."

I sighed and shook my head, Malcolm shouldn't have come here. As soon as Malcolm rounded the corner, his eyes found Caesar's back. "I'm sorry." He said. "It was all my fault but I will make him leave." _Well it's about damn time,_ I thought. _You should never have brought that asshole here_. I was upset about the scare he gave Haze.

"This. My home." Caesar snapped, not turning around. "You should not be here." I seen Ellie round the corner next, though she kept her silence. Neither of them had noticed me yet.

"I understand-"

"Malcolm." Ellie quietly interrupted when she caught sight of Cornelia. I watched Malcolm finally take notice of the ailing female.

"She's sick." He said. Blue Eyes was watching them with a guarded gaze, his hand on his mother's shoulder.

"How long has she been this way?" Ellie asked in her quiet voice.

Caesar turned then, a questioning glare on his face. I tried not to notice the pink around the great king's irises. Ellie placed her hand lightly on her chest.

"I have medicine. Antibiotics." The woman began.

"Maybe she could help." Malcolm offered.

Caesar turned his piercing green gaze on Malcolm. "Do. Not. Trust you." He looked away, glaring at the moss beside his wife's head.

"I don't blame you." Malcolm murmured sincerely. "But believe me, we are not all like him."

"Please." Ellie said. "Let us help you."

Caesar gazed down at Cornelia, thinking hard on the matter. Caesar turned back around and looked at Ellie. The woman moved forward slowly, taking her time to move toward the sick queen, in case anyone changed their mind and decided to lash out. She shouldered off her backpack as Caesar watched her carefully. Ellie quietly unzipped the backpack and started shuffling through it.

"One day." Caesar murmured. Ellie looked up at the king, confused. "You stay. One day."

_"Father, no."_ Blue Eyes raised a hand to sign.

"We might need a little more time-" Malcolm started gently.

"_One day_!" Caesar shouted, glaring at Malcolm. "Ape will help." He growled, calmer but with a coarse voice. I could see the pain he was trying to conceal. I watched Blue Eyes' expression as he watched his father.

_"I won't help."_ He signed slowly, a slight glare in his aqua eyes. Caesar didn't reply, but held eye contact with his eldest son. I made eye contact with the nearest Oba, and silently asked her to hold young Haze. She took the child gently, though even in his sleep his tiny fists clasped my jacket tightly, and I had to work carefully to get him to let go without rousing the child. I approached the bedside slowly, giving a small noise to get the king's attention. He took a moment to look away from the glaring contest with Blue Eyes, but swiped my palm when I extended it, glancing pointedly at Cornelia.

I moved beside Ellie, and she looked up at me. I made eye contact and she knew what I wanted to do. Quietly, the two of us discussed what it could be that was ailing my queen. I was deathly afraid it was pneumonia, but it was soon ruled out. When we figured out what it most likely was, I was happy to find she had a medicinal syrup that was likely to help quickly. We discussed how much to give her quietly before agreeing on the correct amount of milliliters. An Oba asked what it was, not trusting it as he glared down at the capful of syrup. I translated his signing for Ellie, and she told the Oba it's name and explained what it would do, telling him how it would fight the sickness. He still seemed reluctant to let his queen ingest it, and his uneasiness was starting to affect the others.

"It won't hurt her. Look." I poured a small amount into the cap of the bottle and downed it. I pulled a face. "It doesn't taste the best, but it won't do her harm."

Seeming sated by my evidence, he moved his hand away from shielding her face. "We need to sit her up. She might choke if we don't." Ellie murmured.

I moved toward her head, and tried to gently rouse her. The queen reached up and touched my face when her watery eyes opened. She tried to say my name, but coughing took over. I winced and many of us put hands on her body to offer comfort as I lightly shushed her.

"We need you to sit up, Cornelia." I whispered, placing my hands under her shoulders but not lifting. She nodded slightly, and tried to lift herself, but her arms were trembling. Before she could fall, Caesar took her up into his arms and I scooted closer, presenting the little cup to her.

"Please drink. It'll make you better again." I murmured soothingly to her. Her trembling hand went up to grasp it, but everyone could see she didn't have the strength to hold it herself, so I held it up while she guided it to her lips. She downed it, and her face scrunched up at the taste.

"Yeah, I know." I murmured sympathetically. "I still taste it too." Caesar set her down slowly, and she fell back asleep as soon as her head was laid down. I sat back on my shins, watching the queen's face.

"She should be feeling better soon." I murmured to no one in particular.

"Hey." Ellie placed her hand on my knee, and I looked down at it before making eye contact.

"You did well. Your mom would be proud." Ellie gave me a smile. My lips parted and I stared at her face, stunned by her kind words. I looked down and quietly thanked her, but I backed away, her hand slipping off of me. Ellie cleaned up her stuff and placed it back in her backpack, and I retreated to my original place beside the door. Fifteen minutes later I found myself standing beside Luca as a few of the apes watched as Foster and Malcolm threw out Carver, struggling the entire time.

"This is bullshit!" He shouted as Foster herded him roughly down the path to the old fire road where their trucks were parked. Malcolm turned and walked forward a few paces to look up at Caesar from his horse after Carver and Foster disappeared around the bend.

"Okay?" Malcolm said.

Caesar nodded gruffly, and turned his horse around, apes following. I stuck close to Luca, and he offered comfort and small talk the whole walk to the dam. I was still agitated by the earlier events, as well as the humans' presence in the forest in general. I liked Malcolm and Alexander, and I'm warming up to Ellie, but the others... Every time I looked at them all I could see was the faces of those who had tried to hurt me. It forced me to think about my past life in the once famous city, about the abuse I suffered. Kids my age never seemed to like me much, and I often felt like Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer when I was excluded from any games. It didn't get better as I got older, and so I took to avoiding the crowds in the streets by taking to higher grounds.

I had always loved to climb, ever since I could remember I had played in the trees around my Washington home. I hadn't been able to do much of that after my mother brought Dax and I to California, but I rediscovered the fun of it when I started moving from rooftop to rooftop. I took it slowly, but my confidence built up quickly, and soon I had no trouble getting around. But not always without being seen. People then started bullying me more, saying that what I was doing was unnatural, as well as a danger to myself and the people on the ground. They said I was pretending to be something I'm not, but I wasn't _pretending_ to be anything, I was just being me. But apparently that wasn't enough, it never was. But here, in the forest with the apes, I wasn't judged or bullied. I lived happily among these intelligent primates and it felt right to think of this place as home. I had many friends and was always meeting and making new ones. I could also embrace my heritage better now, and I wished that my mother and dear grandfather could see me now, happy and unbruised by malicious hands.

My grandfather had been a kind old man, with caramel wrinkly skin and shining brown eyes. His hair was long and white, and he used to tell my brother and I the best stories when we were little. He and my mother were close, and he was a big part of my early life. He had often encouraged us all to speak in Cherokee when we were together, and he was always teaching us new words, seeing as he had been a fluent speaker. I missed him desperately, I missed the laugh that always ringed like a mellifluous bell in his voice, and i missed the way he call me Rainbow before hugging me. I sighed and followed everyone into the dam, pushing away the memories. I was working on a damaged panel near Foster, when Alexander passed by.

"Yo, Alex, this relay's busted. See if there's another one." He said, and tossed it up to him. Alexander made his way over to the tool lockers to begin his search. I paid no mind as I went back to re-establishing wire connections. But a minute afterword, I heard a growled out grunt and then I heard Alexander's exclamation. "Aye!" I turned to see him on the ground, Koba growling at him as he approached. I stood up but made no move, Malcolm was already in front of his son.

"No! No! No!" He was holding his hand up, trying to get Koba to stay back, but the gesture fell on deaf ears. Koba kept moving foreword until the large, close to growling form of Maurice loomed over Koba, in front of the father and son.

"Where Caesar?" Koba asked. "Want Caesar. _CAESAAAR_!" he screamed. Maurice growled at Koba, giving him a look. Koba turned away, and I followed the scarred bonobo's gaze to find Caesar standing in a doorway.

Caesar approached slowly, and Koba started speaking. "Humans. Attack your sons. You. Let. Them. Stay?!" I grew uneasy, and clenched my fists tightly around the metal railing in front of me as I watched the encounter. Koba was challenging Caesar. "Put apes. In danger. Caesar love humans, more than apes." Koba kept approaching Caesar, getting closer and closer to the king. "More than. Your sons." My heart skipped a beat.

Koba was treading thin ice, and I was surprised he hadn't fallen in yet. Caesar's face contorted in rage, and I seen his eyes go to Blue Eyes, who had followed Koba inside. Blue Eyes' expression was guarded but his confusion and worry was slipping through his façade, a rare occurrence. When Caesar turned his angered green eyes back onto the bonobo, he sucked in a breath, and let out a scream, lunging at Koba. They toppled and rolled across the platform, the apes hooting and barking in confusion and agitation.

Koba was on top, arms raised before bearing down on Caesar over and over with his fists before Caesar rolled on top of the bonobo. It was now his turn to rain down his fists, and a fleshy muted thump rang out when the king struck an especially angry blow onto Koba's scarred face. Then Caesar's fists were clenched around Koba's throat, strangling him as he slammed the older bonobo's head down on the metal railed floor, Koba's hands gripping desperately at Caesar's wrists. Caesar growled out his anger loudly, and I could hear the choked gasps coming from Koba, all the while. Caesar finally stopped ramming Koba's head down, but I could see his arms flex as he squeezed the bonobo's windpipe harder, letting out another rage filled scream. A hiss left the king, baring sharp canines threateningly before he seemed to come to his senses.

Caesar panted heavily, and his fangs poked out from between his up pulled lips as the king gained control over his animal instincts that I could see were fighting with his mind to gain control over his body. But Caesar's intellect won and he loosened his grip on the defeated bonobo's neck, and lifted his hands away. Caesar's shoulder heaved as he panted.

"Ape." His voice was deepened and hoarse. "Not. Kill. Ape."

Slowly the king stood up, and moved off of the beaten ape. A part of me reached out to Koba sympathetically, I knew exactly what it felt like to be beaten, bloody and bruised on the ground. But the smarter half knew that he deserved what he got, it wouldn't have been okay for Koba to get away with saying something like that, challenging a good leader in front of his people. I wonder how I would have reacted, if someone had the nerve and audacity to accuse me of loving anyone more than my child (if I had any), and I knew that I would never have allowed that.

Koba's head turned toward a few of the apes who had watched, and seen them turn their heads away. The bonobo then looked for solace in his two closest friends, Stone and Grey, but they too, looked away. Koba pulled himself to his feet, his head bowed. He reached up a supplicating palm toward Caesar.

"Forgive me." Koba rasped.

Caesar straightened his back, and his eyes scanned the room. When his green orbs fell back to the bonobo's hand, Caesar's hand hovered over Koba's, as if he was considering whether or not he really forgave him. I doubted he did. But all the same, Caesar laid his hand over Koba's palm, and as soon as their skin made contact, Koba turned and exited the dam. We all stared after him, and I could practically see the humiliation and held in anger radiating off his pelt. The rest of the day was awkward, everyone silently going about their duties and only speaking when necessary. I distanced myself even more from the humans, and stuck close to Maurice for the rest of our time in the dam.

When dinner rolled around, I stayed with Deja and Brent, but I left early when Aria asked me to check on Cornelia (Much to my surprise). Deja and Brent accompanied me with food for the queen, and we moved up into the Home Tree penthouse. I was glad to see Cornelia was feeling alright enough to sit up. Brent hooted softly to get her attention, and the three of us held our palms out for permission to enter. The queen gave a small smile and lifted her palm toward us, giving her consent from afar. We enter slowly, our heads inclined to show our respect to the gentle queen.

"How are you feeling?" I asked softly.

The queen gave a soft grunt, lifting a hand to sign, _"Better."_

I nodded approvingly and reached my hand up a bit, conveying with my eyes that I wanted to check her temperature. She gave her consent and when I felt her forehead I was relieved to feel that she wasn't as warm as before, and her skin had gained back a healthy color.

"Have you. Eaten yet?" The soft voice of Deja sounded beside me.

The queen shook her head. _"I wanted to go get it on my own."_ She signed with a sigh.

Deja and I exchanged a glance, and when we looked back up at the beautiful chimpanzee I knew that she was aware that she was not yet well enough to leave her bed.

_"You should save up your strength, Cornelia_." Brent signed gently. _"We brought you some food."_ He presented the wooden plate to the queen, and she took it with a grateful nod. We left her to eat, and I turned in to my hollow, bidding Deja and Brent goodnight.

I took a moment to watch as the female bonobo and her chimp companion walked back down into the courtyard in close proximity. I smiled as I watched the romance blooming between the two, and I found myself anticipating the day they finally faced their feelings and confessed to each other. I shed my pants and shirt, choosing to sleep in panties and my hoodie. I laid down in my hammock, and I started humming and singing a Cherokee lullaby softly. I slipped out of the present, and when I fell asleep, I found myself as a young girl again, playing with my brother and grandfather while my mom sat a few yards away, writing a song with her acoustic guitar.

***A/N: I know that Ellie isn't Malcolm's cousin in the movie, but please just roll with it. There's a reason for it and it'll make sense later on.***


	15. Chapter 15

My Little Bird- 15

-the next morning-

I was walking with Maurice to the human's camp. When we turned around the bend of a moss coated redwood trunk, I was surprised to see Alexander waiting on the porch step of the tent. He stood up when he saw us, but didn't move. Maurice paused, then ambled down the roots of the great tree with me following slowly. Alexander pulled out a thick book from behind his jacket, where he had been shielding it from the pattering rain as we approached, the boy's eyes were mostly on the orangutan, only glancing at me a few times. Maurice stopped a few feet away, letting Alexander close the distance a little as he eyed the book in the boy's hands. Alexander held it out to Maurice, and after only a moments hesitation, the older ape took it from the boy's hands.

"For yesterday." Alexander said, pointing to the thick comic book. Maurice looked back up from where he had been examining the book's cover, and glanced back down at it before pulling it to his chest under his chin, shielding it from the rain before looking up at the tall boy. Maurice glanced at me, and then sat down with the gift. The orangutan nodded to me, telling me to take a seat beside him as Alexander had. I had seen the book before, it was Alexander's favorite, and he had re-read it many times. I thought it was kind of him to give the knowledge loving ape his book.

Maurice opened the book, and Alexander started teaching him the difference between reading regular books and reading comic books while I sat quietly and watched. Maurice was following along attentively, and Alexander explained a few human terms to him, though a few times I had to help with signing. Alexander was pleasantly surprised to find that Maurice was following along and knew how to read the words, and the wise old ape soaked up everything like a sponge. Though halfway through, silence fell upon us while we waited for the rest of the humans to rouse, and I took to carving my tiny totem again while the two males read the comic.

"Rain?" I heard Alexander say my name. I looked up at his grey eyes.

"Are you happy?" He asked. "Here?" I blinked at the sudden question. I looked away from him, and to the forest around me, I looked up at the looming redwoods and pines, and seen some of apes up in the branches, lounging lazily. I thought back to all my memories here, and smiled. I thought of Blue Eyes, and of Haze and Harley, and Deja and Lisa and Ash, and all of my friends in the village.

When I turned back to Alexander, I said with all the sincerity that I could muster without tearing up, "Yeah. Yeah I am. I'm really happy here."

Alexander gave a one sided smile, though it was genuine. "Good." He nodded. "It's about time."

My face dropped, and before I could ask what he meant, he was already answering. "Don't even ask, Rain. We both know you were never really happy in San Francisco, at least not while you away from Dax and Lana. You _look_ happy, even though you've been so jumpy, but I know that's probably because of the others." He said.

I interrupted him for a moment. "I haven't been jumpy."

"Yes, you have. This whole time you've been jumpy, except when you were playing with that baby. How is that little guy, by the way?" He added. I realized he must have been talking about Haze.

"He's fine. But can you really blame me for being cautious? I have too many bad memories of other people." I added.

Alexander nodded and considered my words. "So it's safe to assume that you're not coming back with us?"

My eyes widened. The thought had never crossed my mind, and now that it had I felt my heart start beating in fear, a wild bird trying to escape its boney cage bars. "No." I had an almost offended air to my words, as if he had offered me marijuana or some other narcotic.

I shook my head. "I can't go back there, Alexander. I won't. I can't live my life in fear. And that's all I would ever be if I was back in that place. Afraid. It's nothing against you or Malcolm, you two have been friends of my family for years, but I refuse to be bullied and beaten for the rest of my life." I was surprised by how strongly I stated my feelings on the matter, without even being able to consider my emotions before I had opened my mouth.

Alexander searched my face. "I wasn't going to ask you to. It's gonna stun Dad, though. He's been pretty torn up since...everything that happened after you left."

I realized then he meant the death of my mother. I worked up the nerve to ask a question that had been on my mind for a long time. Something I wasn't sure that Drake would have withheld or not when he came to inform me of my mother's passing. "Her baby didn't survive then?"

My voice, which had been declaring my opinion of returning to the city so strongly before, was weak and feeble now that I was speaking about a baby I've never even laid eyes on yet I still loved dearly nevertheless. Alexander didn't answer right away, and I didn't take my eyes off a moss fluffed rock that held residency near my foot.

"No." Alexander finally answered. My eyes started burning as I heard the truth, the truth that I had always known but had been too afraid to say, even in my head. But now that someone else had said it, my subconscious finally let the thought flow through my mind coherently. Two twin tears slid silently down my cheeks and dripped from my chin and onto the ground. I refused to move, afraid that if I did, I would breakdown. Maurice seemed to pick up on my raging emotions, because he surprised me by drawing me under his large arm, and hugging me to his side. I looked up at the older ape, and seem sympathy shining in his bright green eyes.

He nodded and cooed at me, I tried not to let my lip tremble as I gave in and hugged the orangutan's large body. He wrapped me up in a grandfatherly embrace and cooed comfortingly to me as I sobbed silently. The tears soon stopped but I refused to open my eyes, too afraid to face the world again. I stopped hugging Maurice but I didn't leave his embrace as I leaned forward and bowed my head, my fingers laced in the dark chocolate locks on my head. I sucked in a trembling breath to try to calm myself, and after my exhale I heard a thump and a thud a few feet away. I lifted my head to see Blue Eyes and Ash approaching, worry, concern and even confused anger swimming in their eyes.

Ash moved next to me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder while Blue Eyes crouched in front of me, aqua eyes scanning my face. Ash hooted his confusion, but didn't sign.

_"What's wrong?"_ Blue Eyes signed, casting a glance toward Maurice, who still had a long, furry arm wrapped around my shoulders.

"_Miss my family_." I signed back, trying to control my trembling pout. Blue Eyes looked on with sympathetic eyes and gave my jaw a few light taps with his knuckles in an attempt to tell me to cheer up.

"_I know it's sad that they're gone, but you have us now_." Ash suddenly signed.

I stared at him with surprised parted lips, but they soon stretched into a grateful smile. "_Thank means a lot_." I signed.

_"We're your family now. You can lean on us, you know?"_ Ash signed, and I felt a little surprised to see this side of Ash, who was normally very humorous and playful, but it seems Blue Eyes' serious moments had rubbed off on the grey chimp, and he was showing sincere compassion instead of smiling reassurances like I would have expected from him.

"_Ash is right_" Blue Eyes grunted softly. "_You don't have to deal with things on your own. I'm here for you. We all are_." He added.

I stared at the pair, wide eyed. They knew? I had ways tried to work out my problems on my own, but the thought never occurred to me that I _didn't_ have to rely on only my own problem solving abilities. Rarely had I ever gone to Dax or my mother with my adolescent difficulties. Now that the concept of receiving the aid of others had been stated (and offered), I was left dumbfounded with my own confused stupidity. I blinked, as I thought about what he had said, and the humorous part of me called Blue Eyes a hypocrite. Much of the time he hid his emotions and thoughts behind a mask, though I usually didn't try to get him to lift it up for me, respecting his privacy. It wasn't that I thought they were trying to disrespect my privacy, I actually felt a cool wave of strange relief wash over me, like my subconscious had always known that fact.

"_Thank you_." I smiled at him, and then wrapped my arms loosely around myself to sign, _"Hug?"_

Before I could comprehend Blue Eyes' next expression, I felt something push me slightly, landing me on my knees. I turned back to see it had been Maurice, nudging me to the blue eyed chimp. When I met his leafy green gaze, I found mirth swimming in his all-seeing irises. My eyes were snapped toward Ash when he signed with a little vocalization, _"Group hug!"_

The grey chimp dove foreword, mashing the two of us into Blue Eyes' chest, knocking him down. We all pushed up and got into a sitting position but before I could pull away, Ash locked us all together with his arms. There was a moment of awkwardness, but soon we were all looking at each other's faces, and bubbly laughter was floating out of our mouths. This time, Blue Eyes was the one to strengthen the hug, pulling both Ash and I to his scarred chest as we laughed our happiness into the air. We ended up falling over again, Blue Eyes on his back while Ash and I hugged his chest. Very soon we sat up again, freeing each other from our arms, though we were still laughing slightly. I couldn't wipe the smile from my face.

"What are you three doing?" An amused voice broke the moment, and I seen Malcolm standing next to Alexander and Maurice, who were watching the encounter with smiling faces.

"Hugging." I said, my happiness still ringing through my voice.

"I can see that." He commented, his eyes smiling.

"Malcolm." We all turned at a new voice. I seen Kemp, frozen in place as he looked on at what he had interrupted. But he turned his eyes back toward Malcolm. "We're ready to go."

Malcolm nodded. "Good."

With that, we all made our way to the dam. My eyes couldn't help but land on the spot where the fight between Caesar and Koba had taken place. Cold claws pattered down my spine at the thought of the ferocity I had witnessed from the gentle king. But it had to be done. To let Koba get away with that would have meant that the things Koba had dared to say were true. I purged the thoughts away and tucked into fixing one of the panels, Ash watching and asking millions of questions. He soon switched to Alexander, pestering the boy with everything under the sun in his gruff voice. I smirked at the flustered expression Alexander was trying to keep hidden. I felt a hand on my shoulder after I finished screwing the metal panel over back onto the side of the control board. When I turned I was met with the bright blue eyes of the eldest prince.

"_Come with me_." He signed.

I stood up and followed him at his side._ "Where?"_

_"Out."_ Was all he gave me to fill me in. My mind kept getting a tickle of Deja-vu at the action, reminding me of the time he took me to the riverside to show Ash and him the way my bow worked. I was surprised when he backed me up from going down the hallway that lead to the front door, and following me into a nook in the pipes. He turned his face down and away as we were pushed together, and I heard the sound of apes approaching. We both held our breathes as they passed, our dark hair helping to conceal us in the dim lighting in the dam. To say I was confused was an understatement, why were we hiding from apes? I went to question Blue Eyes after they passed, but he shushed me with a finger to his lips and he waved me forward as he crept out of the hallway.

We made our way to the light of the metal door, hanging open slightly. Blue Eyes sniffed around the edge before peeking through. When he stated the coast clear, he took my fingers in his gently and we crouched down, creeping through the logjam the long way before I whistled softly, drawing Zira out of the small group of horses bunched together ground tied at Blue Eyes' signal. The ape then creeped forward and took hold of a second horse's reins, and together we led them silently into the forest. Once out of sight, we pulled ourselves up onto the steeds.

_"What are we doing?"_ I signed to Blue Eyes.

"_Just wait_." He signed, giving me one of those small smiles of his.

I let the prince lead me through the forest, and after around twenty minutes, I realized where we were going. We had to dismount to lead the horses up the foothill and over the ridge to our little valley. Zira made sure to be a pain the entire way, fussing over each hoof step. I finally coaxed her over the ridge while Blue Eyes waited and watched with his more obedient horse in the shadow of the ridge.

Once I got her down into the valley, she started getting antsy and even harder to control, her eyes on all the grass in the area. I sighed and let her go, muttering in Cherokee about what a pain in the ass the horse could be. Blue Eyes released his horse as well, but kept his sky eyes on me. After I couldn't stand not fidgeting under his gaze, I finally turned to him and asked, "What?"

_"What does that mean?"_ He asked. I gave a small puff of laughter, and translated the words for him. He started chuckling after he heard what the string of sounds meant, and his amused face made my smile grow.

As we walked through the valley, Blue Eyes would sign a word, or multiple words, and I would translate them into Cherokee for him, it was a lot of fun. We traveled to the oak tree we had resided in the last time we had come here, and sat against its great trunk. Our word game continued for some time, a few times I coaxed him through the pronunciation of a few simple words. I taught him how to say his name, as well as Haze's and my names in Cherokee, though it was a slow process. I didn't mind it one bit though, secretly I found myself very happy that he had an interest in my language, and I felt a delighted waved rush through me every time he asked a question, how to tell plurals, things like that. At the end of it all, he couldn't _speak_ it verbally, but he could pick out and identify words really well.

My thoughts seemed to stop in their tracks when my oddball eyes locked with Blue Eyes', shocking my mind with their icy colored warmth. His face was lifted by a small smile that made his eyes wrinkle in just the right way to catch in the sun. I watched his facade chink a little, letting out a happy, contented look seep through. Blue Eyes' namesakes flitted over my face before our two unique hues collided again, and I couldn't resist the urge to bite my lip any longer, and caved in to the habit. Blue Eyes's gaze flew down and back up my face, and our proximity was suddenly very decreased. The breath seemed to disappear from my lungs completely.

I could feel his breath on my mouth as Blue Eyes murmured huskily, "Do you have any idea. What you do to me. When you bite your lip?"

Before I could reply, or even take a breath, Blue Eyes crashed his lips onto mine. I inhaled a gasp through my nose, before I melted into him. My hands instantly found his hard chest, and his arms found their increasingly frequent place around my waist. Our contrasting lips moved together in sync, sending an electrically thrilling bolt to run through me at the lovely foreign sensation. I felt the cool grass on my back as Blue Eyes lowered us down, lips never leaving mine as he carefully lowered some of his weight onto me. Our chests pressed together. I wove my hands through his soft hair as they moved to coil around his neck. I felt one of Blue Eyes' hands move down over my side and back up, lifting the hem of my doeskin dress to explore. My heart pounded in excitement and my lungs froze in nervous suspense as Blue Eyes' hand crawled slowly up over the waistband of my panties and up to splay his large fingers over my flat stomach.

He caressed the skin there, tracing the endpoints of my scars as he continued to kiss me. His fingers traveled up, spending some time feeling the skin stretched tautly over my ribs. Then up some more. I drew in a little gasp, followed by a tiny moan as I felt that big warm hand cup one of my breasts. Blue Eyes responded to the sound with a growl and a squeeze to my breast, which pulled out another moan from me. His mouth left mine before he started trailing little kisses down my jaw to my neck as his hand worked its way into my bra cup. I clung to him as he sent new sensations and feelings I had never felt before surging through me, and each little touch and squeeze was driving me to insanity. My chest moved up and down quickly as my breath rate elevated due to the ministrations Blue Eyes' lips were working on my neck. I moved my head to the side to give him more room before my body surprised me by arching my back, pushing my chest up into Blue Eyes' palm. Another possessive growl rumbled through Blue Eyes' chest, sending wonderful shivers of pleasure through me. I gasped and panted slightly as Blue Eyes started sucking down on my skin, nipping gently at it with his ivory canines. The attention sent another appreciative groan out of me, and I felt my cheeks warm up at the sound.

But apparently not everyone was enjoying our actions as much as I was, and I was surprised to see a dark, velvety snout in my face when I cracked my eyes open. The snout snorted, and I heard Zira's hoof paw at the ground just feet from our heads. The sounds caused Blue Eyes to look up, and his brow arched in confusion until he followed the long face upward and found the rest of the horse. His hand left my chest so his forearms could prop themselves up on either side of my head. Blue Eyes huffed with annoyance at the mare while I pushed her cheek away, trying to nudge her into leaving. I was a bit miffed at the horse for interrupting, but I didn't dwell on it long, for the beautiful mare snorted at Blue Eyes again before moving away, her tail flicking irritatedly. I looked up at the ape above me, and when our gazes met, laughter bubbled up out of our previously connected lips.

Blue Eyes rolled off of me, and onto his side. I turned over to face him, and both of us wiggled a bit closer to each other. Our arms tangled together as he drew me into his arms, placing our foreheads together affectionately. I closed my eyes and placed my hands on either side of his face, caressing his cheek with a thumb. I could feel his fingers playing with my hair, sending pleasant tingles through my scalp. When I opened my eyes again, his hand was trailing down my arm, and I lifted my forearm to meet his fingertips in the middle. I contentedly watched as we played with each other's fingers lazily. After about four stretched out minutes, Blue Eyes pulled me closer to him, rolling onto his back and wrapping me up in his strong arms. I rested my head on his scarred chest and snuggled into his side comfortably. We both sucked in a deep sigh of content in unison, our bodies rising and falling in stereo. I closed my eyes and felt safe.

-hours later-

When I awoke, it was to hot, feather-light little touches all over my face. I sighed at the nice feeling, and became aware of the warmth wreathed around me. I tried to move closer, but I was already pressed against it, and there was no more room to fill. I felt a light touch trail over my upper arm in slow, lazy circles. I lifted my lids from my odd hazel eyes to peer tiredly up at whoever had induced such sweet consciousness. I had to lift my face slightly to peek up at the face above mine, and found the clearest crystalline eyes I had ever seen. I blinked, and recognized the rest of the face as Blue Eyes, gazing down at me with that little smile that I adored. _What a nice way to wake up,_ I thought.

"Hi." I whispered. He grunted softly back, then glanced pointedly at the sky. My gaze followed his and my mouth dropped slightly when I noticed how low the sun had gotten.

"How long did we sleep?" I muttered.

"Should get back." He whispered softly, getting to his feet. Blue Eyes extended a hand down to me, and I took it and let the strong prince tug me to my feet. A smile stretched my lips when I felt our fingers interlock, and squeezed his hand. My gaze searched the grasslands around me for Zira and her companion. My oddball eyes soon spotted them a few yards away behind us, and I whistled for Zira. Her sudden departure caused the other dark coated horse to follow the plucky mare as she trotted to me. One ear was pulled back while the other perked up forward as she nuzzled at the top of my head. I giggled and gave her a pat, before Blue Eyes swept me up and placed me on her withers, catching me completely by surprise.

I tried to playfully swat at him but the ape dodged and pulled himself up onto the horse, laughing. I laughed with him as we nudged the horses into motion, our hands finding each other again, almost supernaturally. Getting the horses out of the valley was by far much easier to get them out, for we found a small path that had been blocked from view by a boulder on the outside of the ridge. We carefully picked our way down the foothill until we got to the forest line. The sunset blazed down through the titanic canopy above us, illuminating shafts of sunlight and little flying things in hot orange light. Fireflies blinked about in the shadow swathed bushes as night took over, and Blue Eyes and I were back in the village before the fiery disk had fully dipped below the horizon, hands parted.

I hopped off Zira and led her to the pasture, Blue Eyes following suit. After locking the gate, I turned and was surprised to see Lisa close behind me. I let out a little yelp of shock, but placed a hand on my chest to calm my racing heart and let out a little giggle at my fright. Lisa found it funny as well, because after a breathy giggle she signed, _"Sorry, Rain."_

I gave a smile. "_It's fine_." I signed back.

"_You should have seen your face_." She giggled again, and I saw a little bit of Ash peek out of her.

I smirked and tried to stifle my own giggle. "_Yeah, real funny_."

"Yep." She agreed.

With that, we moved on to dinner. I nibbled on the roasted venison on my plate as butterflies erupted in my stomach at the feel of Blue Eyes' knee under mine as we sat cross legged closely beside each other. _Seriously?_ I thought to myself. _NOW you decide be nervous? After all that?_ I fought the urge to shake my head at myself, I confused myself. The communal supper was soon over and again, I felt myself sneaking through the village with Blue Eyes, though this time it was much less conspicuous. I found myself in between two structures so close together that Blue Eyes and I were rendered pressed together chest to chest. We backed away into the shadows, away from prying eyes. As soon as eye contact was established, our mouths were suddenly dancing together and my eyes were closed and my hands were on his shoulders and his hands were clinging to my hips for dear life.

My heart went from calmly beating to quick, excited palpitations in a matter of seconds as each and every touch and caress left trails of fire to seep into my skin. I welcomed every drop of the hot sensations Blue Eyes sent through me as my body came alive for him. My stomach turned into a butterfly's wings, flapping desperately to escape the cage that was my body as the blood roared in my ears, though at the same time I heard nothing but the beating of my heart. I resisted the urge to whimper at all the wonderfully charged sensations running through me, and tried to remember what else lips were good for. My mind drew a blank when Blue Eyes' hands trailed down and under the hem of my dress to feel the skin on my hips. Much too soon, the burning in my lungs reminded me what oxygen was, and I was forced to pull away to bring in the element that soothed the collapsing feeling in my chest. Blue Eyes and I stood there, sticking to each other, and panting quietly as our heads rested against each other.

When I came to my senses, I became aware of the silence that had befallen the torch-lit village, and for a moment I was worried they had discovered our hiding place. But when I looked out, I was shocked to see the humans being escorted through the village by Caesar, Rocket and Maurice. Blue Eyes and I exchanged a confused glance before he nudged me outward, a silent agreement forming between us. I would go out first, and then Blue Eyes would follow afterward. I peeked to see if anyone was looking our way, but everyone was watching the humans pick their way slowly up the steps to the cliff that Home Tree sat on. I made my way out, following along the sides of the village, my confusion radiating off me. Did I look as contrasting as they did here? I pushed the question away and followed as Caesar kindly helped Ellie up the steps and joined them as Caesar pointed to the distance.

"The. Lights." He said.

I silently joined Alexander's side and looked to where the king had indicated. Far off in the distance, my jaw dropped slightly to see shining dots in the distance. San Francisco. I could see the tower from here, where most of the people lived outlined against an illuminated atmosphere surrounding the once great city. I wasn't sure if it was too far or not far enough for my liking. I wonder how many times I've walked past this spot and looked in that direction, looking right through the walls that had trapped me with malicious and hurt beings. I wasn't sure how I felt, but I felt something cold sloshing around in my tummy at the thought of maybe if we could see their artificial lights, maybe they could see our natural illumination. But the thought was quickly swept aside, the trees towered over the view, hoisted by hills of land to help the old titans conceal us.

I heard a familiar little cry and looked up to see Cornelia standing on the stairs, looking out at the unnatural glowing coming from the broken city. I glanced to the side to search out Blue Eyes, and I needn't searched long, and once eye contact was established, I pointed upward towards his mother with a smile. Blue Eyes froze, his glacial gaze settling on his once ill mother. He passed slowly though quickly, like a shadow behind us, grazing his fingers across my shoulder blades as he passed. Caesar noticed his wife as well, and walked up to reach her. I was distracted from the family when Alexander poked my arm. I turned to look at the taller boy as he gazed down at me.

"Where were you today?" He whispered quietly.

"Out." Was all the answer I was willing to give him.

I glanced up again to see Caesar leading Cornelia by the hand toward a higher vantage point, so she could see the shining lights better. I looked away to give them their privacy as Blue Eyes approached, and looked back to San Francisco's lights. A sad sigh escaped me, though I wasn't sure what it was for.

"Homesick?" Alexander whispered, noticing the little sound come from me.

I gave him a look. "God, no. Not of that place. This is my home." I whispered firmly.

"Was it really so bad in the city?" He murmured softly.

I glanced up at him, afraid I'd hurt his feelings. "Don't get me wrong, it's not like I didn't-..don't, value our friendship it's just...I have a lot more bad memories in that place than good. I was trapped there, those walls were my cage. Please try to understand." I tried to amend any emotional afflictions I may have caused the boy.

Before he could answer, a thunderous bang sounded, roaring across the hills. Instinctively I crouched down, silence falling over the whole village like a corpse in repose. I felt a hand on my shoulder and flinched away at the touch, but with a glance back I seen it was Malcolm, trying to bundle me, Ellie and Alexander into a protective embrace. I ignored them, looking upward where the epicenter had sounded. My heart pounded as I held my breath. Blue Eyes was up there. The sound of the gunshot was still echoing over the land, and as quickly as silence had ensued, the air was filled with hoots of confusion and fear. A moment later, I heard something crashing above my head and I turned my head just in time to see a dark figure fall through the foliage and down onto the forest floor below the village. I heard Cornelia hooting frantically above me, shortly followed by Blue Eyes' barking screams. That could only of meant one thing.

Caesar had just been shot.

The air was filled with screams as I sucked in a trembling gasp of horror, covering my mouth with both hands as it gapped open. A dismayed whine tore it's way out of my throat as I instinctively tried to move forward, but was held back by Alexander. I stood up with the other humans and inched closer to Maurice, who drew me under his arm as we all stood and watched Blue Eyes rushing onto his father's rock, holding up a slender metal object. I gasped when I recognized a gun in the prince's hand. He held it up for all to see, and I could hear his hooting as he struggled to control his emotions enough for speech.

"Human, gun!" He cried out hoarsely.

_What the fuck?_ I wasn't allowed time to dwell on the gorgeous eyed ape's pained words for another ape distracted me. Maurice gave my arm a reassuring squeeze as he turned to the humans beside me. He made eye contact with me and in a deep, baritone voice I had never gotten the chance to hear before say one singular word.

"Run."

Malcolm didn't need anymore instruction, for he had already herded Ellie, Alexander and I foreword, Kemp and Foster following as Maurice led the way. The smell of smoke reached my nose and I looked ahead and cried out despairingly at the sight of the burning wall. I stopped in my tracks and gazed up in horror as the flames licked at wall, engulfing it in destructive heat. _No, please no! This can't be happening!_ I thought. I wasn't given time to think anymore, Malcolm had already shoved me back into motion, and I struggled to follow Maurice through the burning structure through my tears. I was distracted by another voice shouting out to the panicked masses.

"Humans, kill Caesar!" Koba's voice yelled. "Burn ape home!"

Angered barks and hoots pierced the air, and I risked a glance back. In that one glance, I seen Koba standing tall on Caesar's rock, and behind him I noticed a form on the ground. I instantly recognized Blue Eyes, on his hands and knees, head bowed in sorrow. My heart ached, and I longed to go to him, but before I could even consider it, I was again yanked away. Malcolm held my hand tight as he pulled me along after him. I could still hear Koba shouting and yelling, even over the roar of the fire as we dashed into the forest, no longer following the wise orangutan.

"Maurice!" I cried as I looked back again, my free hand reaching out to him as the russet furred ape signed urgently after us.

_"Go, don't stop!"_

I whimpered as I turned away and focused on moving my legs. We tore through the forest, and barreled down the steep hills. I could still hear the cacophony from the village from here, but was distracted when Ellie tripped and rolled down the hill.

"Ellie!" Malcolm, Alexander and I stumbled as we tried to help the woman to her feet. I glanced up, and knew that the apes were coming this way from the way the noise had grown. I looked around, and seen a long since fallen tree, it's roots upturned to the air, presenting itself to the sky. We didn't have time to run, and I pointed toward it, subconsciously already taking a few steps toward the shelter.

"In here!" I pointed it to their attention. We scrambled under the arching roots, hidden in shadow but still pressing our backs to the hard packed soil and drawing out knees as far as they would go to our chests. I hid myself in Malcolm's chest and hugged him, crying silently as the apes I thought of as family roared past us, unaware that we were right under their noses. Pain resonated through me each time my heart beat. It had all happened too much, too soon, too fast. I refused to register the fact that Caesar was dead, that my home was on fire. I shoved my face into Malcolm's ribs to try to muffle the sobs that I had no control over hiccuped out of me, and I felt Ellie wrapping her arms around me and shoving her face into my back.

Apes screamed as they went, their steps thundering and kicking dirt and debris over our shelter. My whole world shook and threatened to crack, how had everything escalated so horribly wrong? Who the fuck shot Caesar? Another bought of sobs shook my small body. The one who saved me, saved my brother and gave us shelter, gave us food and medicine and kindness, was gone? The one who personally held a funeral and burial for my strong big brother, the one who had lowered the man's body into the earth, was now dead himself? The one who was responsible for giving me a chance at a happy life, he who made my survival possible, no longer breathed? The thought was completely alien and unwanted.

These thoughts swirled and plagued my mind, long after the noise of the apes had stopped. I was offered some comfort though, when rain started to mist down in light, pale drops, like they had been shredded by the titanous trees' needles above us. At least now my home would stand a chance against the roaring flames. Worry swept over me, and faces I had come to love flashed through my mind. Blue Eyes, Cornelia, Haze, Ash, Lisa, Deja, Brent, Aria and so many more flashed before my mind's eye. Would I ever see any of them again? My heart suffered a pang of grief at the thought of never interacting with these beautiful souls ever again, and my body shook with another test filled tremor. Exhaustion overcame me, and slumber came not as a slow, numb sensation, but as a tidal wave, and as soon as it crashed down on me I blacked out.

***Sorry it's a bit short this time. I'm going through a really hard time right now but I promise I'm going to do my best to keep up on the updates. Just work with me okay? Thanks***


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